That Which Changes Everything
by Fiction Ghost Writer
Summary: AU story Jack gave a baby up for adoption. Sam tries to find the child. Daniel touches something he shouldn't. Becomes a kidfic. How are they going to fix it? S/J ship *warning - does include a couple of swats *spanking* in chapter 10.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is an AU short story. Some of the timing of cannon events may be changed. S/J ship J/D friendship. I own nothing.

That Which Changes Everything

The evening started out as most do, with the team all together. This was becoming a ritual; whenever they had a few days of down time they met up at Jack's house for team night. It started out as pizza and movies then led to pizza, movies and beer. Eventually leading to pizza, movies, beer and talking. Tonight was more of the same, finding Daniel asleep on the couch and Jack, Sam and Teal'c playing truth or dare. Lately Teal'c seemed to be leaving earlier and tonight was no different. First Teal'c helped Daniel to his room. No idea when it stopped being the guest room and became just Daniel's room. Sure, he had his own apartment but even Daniel considered Jack's house 'home'. Teal'c left Sam and Jack sitting on the couch closer then regulations should allow. With all that has happened between the two of them it was getting harder and harder to fight their feelings for one another.

It was Jack's turn to issue the question, "Truth or dare?" Even knowing that they should stop before things got too far along they continued to play.

Sam answered, "Truth."

Jack smiled and said, "Tell me something you have never told anyone else before."

Sam just blinked. This was her moment, she could tell him this. This was something on the tip of her tongue every time the two of them were alone. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She looked into Jack's dark brown eyes and began, "when I was alone on the Prometheus, there was a little girl that came to me. You know that part and you know how I talked with people before I figured out what was going on with the bubble. What I have never told anyone is that I always thought the little girl, Grace, was somehow my daughter." Her eyes looked down, she could do this. She was still looking down when she whispered, "Our daughter."

Jack should have been shocked at this revelation but somehow it felt right. 'Our daughter,' he repeated in his head as he leaned forward towards Sam. She met him half way there and they began to kiss. Slowly at first then it turned deeper. Jack reached up to cup her face and Sam reached around to hold his side. They slowly ended the kiss, still leaning forward, heads almost touching looking into each other's eyes. The silence wore on but it wasn't awkward. It was a comfortable stillness as they gazed at each other.

Before either of them could speak they heard someone cry out. Jack was on his feet and running towards Daniel's room before Sam could even figure out what was going on. She slowly trailed behind and watched from a distance; Jack waking and soothing Daniel from the nightmare. They all knew Daniel suffered from terrible dreams; hard not to notice when camping out on another world. Sam gave a small knowing smile. Feeling like a voyeur during this moment she walked back to the living room and sat down on the couch.

A few minutes passed and Jack walked back to the room. He jerked his thumb over his shoulder saying "sorry about that," as he sat back down next to Sam.

She reached her hand out to place it just above his knee and said, "You are so good with him."

Jack gave a deprecating grin and quietly said, "Well, I owe him more then I can repay."

They again sat in silence until Sam finally broke it saying, "Ok, one last time, truth or dare?"

Jack barely hesitated when he said, "Truth."

He knew what she was going to say before it left her mouth and was proven correct when she smiled widely and said, "Tell me something you have never told anyone else."

He was still thinking about Daniel and now reflected about their first time on Abydos. He laced his fingers through Sam's and held her hand. He began by saying, "You know when Daniel and I went to Abydos it was supposed to be a one way mission. See, after Charlie died," he couldn't bring himself to discuss the accident, "I felt it was my fault. That now I had one son taken from me because I gave the other son away." His eyes never left hers, searching for understanding.

Sam scrunched her eyebrows in confusion, lost one son; ok that was Charlie, but what did he mean gave the other away?

Before she could voice the question he looked away again. This time his voice barely above a whisper when he said, "things were pretty tough at home after my dad died. I wasn't dealing with things appropriately and the money situation, well just wasn't good. I did an early enlistment into the Air force while I was still in high school. A few weeks later my girlfriend discovered she was pregnant. We had no idea what we were going to do. I was leaving and she was only 16 years old. We hid the pregnancy in the beginning until her parents found out. They sat us both down and talked with us. Ultimately we decided to give the baby up for adoption."

Sam could hardly believe what she was hearing. How did she not know about this? Jack saw the question in her eyes and said, "no one knew. I never told anyone that she was pregnant." He blushed as he said, "I never even told my mom. And now there is no one that knows."

Sam held back her smile, she had never seen the Colonel look sheepish and there was just no other way to describe his expression. She thought she should interject a little humor into the situation and said, "Well, no one but her and her parents." She was smiling but stopped when she saw Jack pale. She gripped his hand firmer and asked, "What?"

He looked back into her eyes and began to explain, "I was already at boot camp when she went into labor. Her parents drove her to the hospital but before they made it there, they were in a horrible accident. Both her parents died at the scene. She was rushed to the hospital where she gave birth to our little boy and then she died shortly afterwards." Sam could see his eyes glisten with unshed tears. She wanted to reach out and pull him into a hug but he continued, "Since we had already filled out all the paperwork they placed him immediately with his adoptive parents."

Now she had to ask, "Do you know who adopted him?"

He sadly shook his head and said, "No, all I ever knew was that he was adopted by an out of state couple. I never really felt I had the right to know. I may have helped give him life but I gave him up." He just hung his head. Silence filled the room but unlike before it was not a comfortable quiet. You could feel the tension and the unasked questions floating around.

Finally Jack stood and started to clean up the pizza boxes and glasses. Sam quietly helped clean up with him and then said, "I guess it is time for me to go. I…" she didn't know what to say next. She looked into his eyes; their earlier moment of tender kissing completely gone, which was just as well. They did have regulations to follow. "I had a good time," she replied lamely. She stared a moment longer then turned to leave.

Jack called to her retreating form, "Sam…"

She paused as he searched for words to make this all better.

"Drive safe," was all he could come up with.

She turned and gave him a small smile, showing him that nothing between them would change from this new discovery. She nodded and said, "I will." With that she left him standing in the living room and drove home.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Sam found herself in the lab at the mountain very early this morning. That wasn't unusual. It was quite common to see Major Samantha Carter working in her lab whenever SG-1 had some down time. The only difference this time was that Sam wasn't working on any experiments, this time she was researching something at her computer. It had been a few days since the Colonel let her know a very closely guarded secret. She had never gotten a clue that he had a son that was given up for adoption; but now that she knew she could think of nothing else. He felt so much guilt for giving away his first born only to lose his second son. She wanted to reassure him, to tell him that there was nothing to be ashamed of by giving your child a better life then you think you are capable of. She wanted to find this young man and introduce him to his father to prove that he had a wonderful childhood filled with a loving family and maybe a friendly dog.

It took some self talk to figure out what to do about the situation. This wasn't for her, nothing would change the way she felt about Jack. No, this was for him, but should she find him? If she did the research herself then she wouldn't be breaking the Colonel's trust. She didn't even need to talk with the boy, just find out where he is so that one day, when he was ready, Jack could meet his son. As hard as it was to convince herself this was the right thing to do, it was going to be even tougher to actually find him. She thought about what kind of life the man had now. Did he join the service like his father or would he follow closer to his mother's footsteps. At that thought she paused, his mother. As horrible as it was to hear that the young girl had died right after giving birth to their son, Sam would have never figured out who she was if something so tragic didn't happen. Jack never said the girl's name or the date of birth, but he did let a few things slip. He said he was in boot camp when the baby was born and that he did and early enlistment in the military. This meant the baby was probably born in the summer. She checked the personnel files to see where Jack had gone to high school and what year he graduated. With a general idea, Sam had the sad job of researching a horrible accident. She searched through the online newspapers in the small town Jack had grown up in. She began looking in June and painstakingly went through each page until she reached July 8th. There had been a one car accident that left a husband and wife dead at the scene and their daughter, Nancy Williams, was life flighted to the closest trauma unit. Sam couldn't bear to read anymore of the story, she already knew the outcome.

With the name of the girl and the hospital she went to Sam began to dig through hospital records. This was a little tricky since most records are confidential, but with the level of clearance she had she was able to get through a lot of the red tape. It wasn't long before she found what she had been searching for. Williams baby boy, born July 8th weighing 6 pounds 7 ounces. She stopped and smiled wondering if the baby had brown eyes like his father. She continued her search to find out what happened to the baby but she could not access any further information. There were several adoption agencies that had records at the hospital but there was nothing indicating which agency had taken the boy.

This had been the culmination of day's worth of research. She found the boy, only to lose him before finding out where he went. There was no way she was giving in though. She glanced at her watch and realized that she should be meeting the team in the cafeteria soon. She made a last minute decision to email the hospital and the various adoption agencies to see which one had taken the baby. She made the letter really official sounding and included her address at the mountain hoping that would clear any problems along the way. Perhaps they could even give her a last known address. With the final email sent out she shut down her computer and cleared the history. She didn't feel that anyone would be looking into what she was doing but just to be on the safe side, she didn't want to answer any questions. If someone were looking into what she was doing there would be no way she could hide it. Though, if someone were to casually user her computer they wouldn't have a clue. She powered down her desk top and went to meet the rest of the team.

Sam found SG-1 already sitting around the table. She brought her bagel and coffee over and sat down next to Jack. "Sir, Daniel, Teal'c," she said nodding in everyone's direction.

Jack gave a nod back.

Teal'c said, "MajorCarter."

Daniel never even looked up from his book. It didn't matter, she was used to it. Besides it was better than having to look either Daniel or Jack in the eyes. Either of them would notice that something was up and would call her on it. She needed a little time to get her mind off the research she had done and back into the latest mission. She thought if Teal'c noticed that her mind seemed to be elsewhere he wouldn't say anything.

Figuring the best way to get back on task would be to start talking about the mission, she looked up to Daniel and asked, "Is that book on Egyptian hieroglyphics?"

Daniel glanced up and said, "Oh, hey Sam! Yes, on the planet PX3-466 there seems to be a mix of…"

Jack interrupted what would be a long discourse, "Carter, do we have to do this now? We will have the briefing in 10 minutes. Can't you just wait to hear him drone on then?"

Daniel gave him a dirty look but went back to his book.

Sam mumbled a "sorry, Sir," and finished her bagel.

One hour later the team plus General Hammond were all seated around the table listening to Daniel explain the relevance of visiting planet designated PX3-466. "It isn't the Egyptian hieroglyphics that are the most interesting." Daniel was saying.

Jack interjected, "ah yes, because that is SO interesting."

Daniel continued on ignoring the interruption. "It is because it is mixed with what appears to be Ancient." This got everyone's attention.

General Hammond was the first to speak, "Are you sure that it is Ancient?"

Daniel was already nodding and was pointing to the pictures of the pillar, "See here, on the column; also there at the entrance. This could be some kind of meeting place like on Ernest's planet. We won't know more until I can get inside the temple and look around. Plus from the readings the planet appears to have trace amounts of Naqada."

General Hammond was already convinced, "Okay, SG-1 you have a go. Get your gear together and be ready to set off at 1300." With that he stood up and left the room.

Jack, who had been watching the clock, did not look pleased. This was a dead planet with only trace amounts of Naqada and that wasn't the worst part. Daniel was as excited as a kid in a candy store. He was going to be spending his time waiting for Daniel to translate the meaning of life or something like that. If they were lucky there would be some reference to Ancient weaponry. Jack didn't think that would be the case. He actually had a bad feeling about this planet; nothing concrete, just a gut feeling. This was really going to be a long mission.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Jack was the last to exit the event horizon, he looked around and sighed. This was going to be a long day. It was already unbearably hot and dusty. The surrounding area was bleak; there was nothing but dirt and rocks. This planet looked like it had been abandoned a long time ago.

Daniel was the first to speak, "looks like the temple will be that way."

Sam nodded and said, "Yes, but the readings show that the cave that holds what could be Naquada is about 3 klicks in that direction." She pointed to the left of where Daniel had originally shown.

"Okay, kids," Jack started, "looks like Carter and Teal'c will head towards the mine while Daniel and I will go and check out the rocks. Check in every thirty minutes." He started toward the temple.

Daniel followed behind him muttering, "Artifacts, Jack, and this could be an important discovery…" He continued but Jack had already tuned him out. He was walking at a moderate pace with his eyes searching around in their usual way, wary of any threats that could be out there. Sam and Teal'c were heading in the other direction. Jack couldn't shake the foreboding feeling, something wasn't right here. Instead of voicing these thoughts he just kept his ever watchful gaze taking in everything.

They had walked for about a mile, Jack in the lead and Daniel slightly behind and to his right. Without breaking stride Jack turned to Daniel and said, "You know, this place looked better on the UAV."

Daniel looked forward and took in the ruins. The column that they saw containing the language of the Ancients was cracked and looked ready to fall. There was much more debris around the building and there was rubble now partially blocking the entrance. Daniel knew if Jack thought that the building was recently damaged that he would never let him inside. Jack's protective streak would kick in and all this would be a wasted trip. Daniel was sure that there was something important inside that building; he could feel it. Nope, there was no way he was going to agree with Jack on this one, even if it was true. "No, Jack, it looks the same. I'm sure it's fine," he said, purposefully avoiding Jack's eyes not wanting him to see he was lying. He reached into his backpack to find the video recorder.

Jack wasn't convinced, "It doesn't look really stable to me."

Daniel rolled his eyes, "Jack, it has probably been here for centuries, I am sure it can withstand a few more hours so I can video it.

Jack wanted to stop him, he wanted to grab him and drag him back to the Stargate. He could usually trust his gut when it came to things like security but with Daniel all bets were off. He was always worried something could happen to him. The kid was a trouble magnet for crying out loud! Jack sighed loudly and Daniel knew he had won.

He continued walking towards the building but Jack's words stopped him, "Don't touch anything." Daniel turned around and gave him a long suffering look, "Jack…"

Jack just raised a finger and said, "Daniel, I'm serious, look around, video tape, take notes, whatever but don't touch anything."

Daniel didn't even respond. It was always the same with Jack, so over protective. You never heard him tell Teal'c not to touch something! It was like Jack thought he was a little boy or something! Jack kept walking and got in front of Daniel again. He had his P-90 in hand and checked out the building before he would let Daniel enter.

Once Daniel was inside the temple any thoughts of Jack's treatment were gone. He was mesmerized by the walls. Some of the walls were crumbled but he could still make out the Ancients writing at the far end of the temple. Daniel walked around videotaping the room so he could have it for reference later.

Jack checked out the inside more thoroughly but there wasn't much more than a long rectangular room with an altar of some kind at the back. As he looked around he could make out some of the words written in Ancient but he didn't dwell on them. He didn't like to think back to the time all the Ancient knowledge was deposited into his head. He watched Daniel for a moment. Daniel was within his element here, gathering all the information and completely losing himself in it. After Daniel had taped the room he went to into his backpack for his journal and began scribbling things down.

Jack quickly grew tired of standing around and told Daniel, "I am going to check the perimeter." He began to walk back to the doorway but turned as he realized that Daniel hadn't answered him. He almost laughed, yep, he was lost in his own little world, fingers hovering above writing as he was mumbling to himself. "Daniel." Jack said his voice clearly saying, 'I mean it, don't touch anything.'

This time Daniel turned around and said, "Jaaack," his voice clearly saying 'I heard you, and I won't do anything dangerous.' Jack only shook his head. So much could be said between these two with just their names. That didn't mean that Daniel always listened to Jack, just that he always knew what he meant.

Jack checked out the perimeter of the building. He still wasn't happy with the condition. It really seemed to be more intact when they saw it on the monitor then it looked now. Sam and Teal'c had already check in once saying that they made their way to the mine and were checking it out, but it didn't look promising. He was on his way back to the temple when the ground shook beneath him.

Sam called on the radio, "Sir, that tremor was pretty bad here in the cave; I think we should head back to the Stargate. With the placement of the rocks around here and the way things are falling I believe we are about to experience major seismic activity."

Jack replied, "Yeah; that last one almost knocked me down. Head to the gate, we will meet you there." He turned around to go back towards the entrance of the temple and keyed his radio, "Daniel, did you copy that, we are headed back towards the gate." He only received static as a reply so a little louder and much angrier, "Daniel, did you copy that?" Again he was only met with static. He started to run back towards the entrance mutter, "If that kid is ignoring me on purpose he will NOT like the consequences. He better have that damn radio on him. I have told him time and time again to always answer and to answer quickly!" He continued his monolog as he ran.

Daniel remained blissfully unaware of the trouble he was getting himself into. He had set his bag and vest down near the front of the temple. That, of course, meant that his radio, which was attached to the vest, was quite far from him as he continued to study the walls. His hand hovered over the Ancient text and then again over the hieroglyphs. His eyebrows scrunched down in confusion as he quietly spoke, "this doesn't make sense. The Ancient text talks about capital punishment, judgment and 'metempsychosis' possibly meaning something like reincarnation. The hieroglyphs talks about 'chosen ones' being given a gift and rejuvenation. Ok, I can understand the similarities of reincarnation and rejuvenation but there is a big difference here between punishment and rewards."

While he was musing about the differences in text the ground shook again. He knew he should head out but who knew when they would get this chance again. From the looks of damage to the temple since the UVA footage there had already been several tremors that had damaged the building. If Jack realized how bad it was he would never had let Daniel in to investigate. Jack was just too overbearing! This is what Daniel did and sometimes you need to take risks. Besides what Jack doesn't know wasn't going to hurt Daniel.

Daniel's musings were again interrupted by a huge quake nearly knocking him off his feet. He would have ran to get out of the building except when the tremor hit it activated a wall; opening a space about the size of an elevator car. As usual, Daniel's sense of self preservation was overridden by his curiosity. He went into the small room and began to check out the walls. There was more of the Ancient language explaining something about a last chance and, was that rebirth?

Daniel had his back to the entrance of the temple as Jack came rushing in. The first thing he saw upon entering was Daniel's gear dropped haphazardly near the door. He looked over and saw Daniel through a doorway that wasn't there when they entered the building earlier. Jack's curiosity was quickly replaced by anger as he yelled, "Damn it, Daniel!"

Daniel wheeled around to see a very irate Colonel. He was just about to explain when a huge tremor shook the ground throwing both Daniel and Jack towards the ground. Jack righted himself quickly but Daniel hit into the wall. Jack watched in horror as the door to the room Daniel was in closed. His anger turned to fear which propelled him forward towards the doorway.

Jack was calling for Daniel as he raced towards the door. There was no handle, actually no marking at all that it was a door. If Jack hadn't seen exactly where the entrance was he never would have been able to find it. He scraped his hands and nails against the wall trying to find a way to open it. He frantically grabbed his radio and yelled, "Teal'c, Carter, Daniel is stuck behind a wall here in the temple. I can't find a way to open it."

Teal'c intoned as he answered the call, "We are on our way O'Neill."

Jack started pounding into the unyielding panel. He called out again, "Daniel… Daniel can you hear me. We are going to get you out of this." Even though he didn't hear a reply he kept speaking, "Do you see anything on your side to open it?" He paused and looked around. He was afraid to touch anything for fear of what it would do.

Just as he was about to grab his radio again to see what was taking his team so long the door slid open again. Jack rushed up and didn't see Daniel. His eyes wide with panic glanced around the tiny room where he saw a small boy huddled up in the corner. The little boy had his knees up to his chest and his head in his hands resting on his knees.

Jack again glanced over the closet shaped room when he heard a sobbed out, "Jaaack."

He immediately darted his gaze towards the sound and looked into incredibly familiar blue eyes. As his mind raced with possibilities it also took in the scene before him. The boy was wearing an extremely oversized olive green jacket that swallowed him hiding the rest of his clothing. To his left was a pair of glasses that he was sure belonged to Daniel.

As his mind tried to fit all these pieces together as an absurdly small voice cried out, "I d-didn't mean to touch anything, Jack…" and the small boy dropped his head and whimpered.

Jack fell to his knees, ignoring the shooting pain the action caused, and cradled the boy's face in his hands forcing the boy to look at Jack. Jack was dumbfounded but upon seeing the familiar azure eyes quietly asked, "Daniel?"

The tears started with a vengeance as the boy shot forward into Jack's arms. He was still sobbing as he stuttered out, "I-I was ju-just looking, I swear. I didn't mean to touch anything, Jaaack." The last syllable was stretched out with a sob as he nestled his head deeper into Jack's chest.

Jack reached up to rub small circles on the boy's back and soothed, "Its ok, Danny, we are going to figure this out." He stood up still holding Daniel in his arms. The ground trembled again, causing him to almost lose his precious bundle. He held on tighter with one arm and reached out for his radio with the other. "Carter, Teal'c, I've got him. Meet us at the gate."

The expected "yes, sir," from Sam came over the radio.

As he came up to the entrance he reached down grabbing Daniel's gear. Jack took off at a slight jog back towards the gate. This was going to take some explaining.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jack didn't slow as he caught sight of the gate. Sam noticed his arrival and began to pick up their gear, waiting to head back.

Teal'c looked at Jack and then looked behind him. Not seeing who he was looking for he asked, "O'Neill, where is DanielJackson?"

Jack was much closer now and slowed his jog a little and answered, "about that…" As he said those words he adjusted Daniel's weight causing the jacket to fall slightly. Blond hair peaked out of the top of the jacket.

Sam had just raised her head to hear the cryptic answer to Teal'c question and saw the clues to the package the Colonel was now holding. She exclaimed, "Holy Hannah!" as she rushed forward towards Jack. She looked right into the face of the little boy, locking her eyes with those familiar blue ones; and knew with everything that was in her who that boy was. "Daniel?" she quietly asked.

Before anyone could answer the ground began to violently shake. They were all thrown from where they were standing but Jack never let go of Daniel.

"Dial up the gate, we need to get out of here NOW!" Jack yelled but Teal'c was already punching in the address. As the gate opened Sam punched in her iris code. She waited seconds before they got the green light to go but it felt like hours. As they were ready to run they noticed a fault line rupture. The ground was opening up and the line was coming towards the gate. They all rushed forward and ran into the event horizon. The ride was more turbulent than usual, spitting them out the other side.

General Hammond was in the control room when they appeared and began to ask why the team was returning early. When the gate closed he paused and said, "Colonel, where is Dr. Jackson?"

Sam had already gained her footing and had rushed to Jack's side and began to reach towards Daniel. She heard the Colonel answer, "yeah, about that…" it was then that the General saw the child that Jack was holding.

Leaving his previous inquiry about Daniel, the General forged onward with a new question, "who is this child? You cannot just bring every stray kid you see…"

The General continued his speech but Sam was no longer listening. She had reached forward to brush the hair out of Daniel's eyes. She noticed that Daniel had yet to let go of the death grip he had on Jack's shirt. She was amazed at the maternal feelings that flooded her. Sure, Daniel had always been a friend, sometimes more of a kid brother but now seeing him like this she knew she would do anything in her power to protect him. The overwhelming need to be there for him was stronger than the feeling to protect Cassie from being alone when they thought the Naquada bomb was going to detonate within her.

The team began to move forward and Sam followed, her eyes never leaving Daniel. They passed a gurney presumably meant for Daniel but Jack wouldn't put him down. Daniel had his legs wrapped tightly around Jack's waist and was hanging on to him with his arms as if his life depended on it. Jack had no idea how he was going to explain this one to the General at their briefing scheduled in an hour. He held tightly to the boy in his arms and carried him through the infirmary doors.

Dr. Frasier was waiting for them to arrive. General Hammond had already called her and informed her with what he knew. She pointed to a bed in the far corner of the room and said, "Place him over there and go ahead and get your post mission physicals done."

Sam looked up at her then around the room. She went over to the closest bed to the one Janet had pointed Daniel to and sat down.

Daniel began to whimper and his hold on Jack became impossibly stronger. Jack rubbed his back and looked at Janet and said, "I will go over there with him and have mine done over there.

Janet huffed slightly. This was going to be difficult enough without Colonel O'Neill's famous protective streak kicking in. She nodded once though, knowing there was no way Jack was going to leave the boy. Jack went over to the corner bed and sat down.

Daniel never loosened his hold; he had no idea what was going on. He hadn't spoken since they left the temple. Why was this happening? What was happening? All he knew was that the only one that would protect him was Jack and that he wasn't going to let him out of his sight. Jack would make this all better, whatever this was.

Teal'c had grudgingly gone to an adjacent bed. The nurses came by and drew blood and took vitals on the other team members while Janet attempted to get Daniel to co-operate.

Jack put one hand up to stop her and then spoke to Daniel, "you know we do this every time. See, now watch, they are going to take some blood from me and then you are going to let them take some from you." He spoke calmly but firmly, and Daniel obeyed. Jack mused that he wished his grown friend was as amiable to following directions but figured the boy was probably still in shock.

Janet took extra samples from Daniel so they could test his DNA for a match against their Dr. Daniel Jackson. This just shouldn't be possible. He left here in his thirties; he shouldn't come back as a little boy. Janet pushed those thoughts from her mind. She knew that strange things happened to this team and frankly, this was not without precedent. She picked up a syringe and gave Daniel a shot of something. Jack's eyes darted up to see what was going on and Janet mouthed that she had sedated him.

When Daniel began to close his eyes and loosen his hold, Jack looked up and asked her quietly, "Why?"

Janet helped him place Daniel on the bed and explained, "we need to run more tests and it will just be easier this way. One test is the MRI and there is no way he can hold on to you during that test. Besides this will give you guys time to talk with the General."

Jack didn't want to admit it but she was right. Those tests had to be done and the rest of the team needed to go to the debriefing. He nodded sadly at Janet as she went about finishing the tests.

The General was waiting in the conference room when the three members of SG-1 arrived. They wasted no time in explaining what had happened. Most of the talk fell to Jack. "Yes, sir, we arrived on the planet and split up; Carter and Teal'c to the cave and Daniel and I to the temple." He paused as he thought about what he saw and then explained, "when we got there I noticed that the temple didn't look as sound as it had when we decided to go, but you know Daniel…" He left the sentence hanging as he mentally kicked himself for not following his gut! He knew there had been more damage. "I went out to do a perimeter check when we felt the first tremor."

Sam nodded and then said, "We decided to leave the planet. I believe it is going through some serious seismic changes. Teal'c and I headed towards the gate and the Colonel went back for Daniel." They both left out the portion of how Daniel didn't respond to the call.

Jack continued, "When I re-entered the temple Daniel was already inside a small room. I called to him as a huge tremor threw us. He was tossed into the wall and the doorway closed. When it finally reopened Daniel was sitting on the ground."

General Hammond nodded and then asked, "How can you be sure it was our Daniel and not a copy or even another child?"

Jack looked up at him and with confidence said, "Oh, it is Daniel alright. He called me by name and was telling me he didn't mean to touch anything." Jack left out the sobbing, no need to embarrass his kid further. Whoa, where did that come from; 'his kid'? Yes, he always said, they were his kids, but this was different, it felt like he was describing Charlie. Jack's chest squeezed at the name and he felt a little guilt. Jack's thoughts started rushing through his head. If he was honest with himself he had been seeing Daniel as more of a son to him then a team mate or even just a friend. Although Daniel was his best friend they had been more than that for a long time; maybe since the first trip to Abydos. Somehow that young geek that annoyed the hell out of him managed to get under his skin and firmly attach himself to Jack's heart. Daniel had filled the void inside Jack that Charlie's loss had created. It wasn't anything either of them planned, it just happened. It was equally apparent to the rest of the SGC that Jack had filled the same void in Daniel. A childless father and a fatherless child had come together. It seemed the only two that didn't know it were Jack and Daniel. Of course with this new development, Jack's eyes were being opened.

Clicking of heels down a hallway interrupted Jack's racing thoughts. Janet walked through the door with a thick folder in her hand. With a nod to the room she began explaining what she had found, "That is definitely Dr. Daniel Jackson. The DNA is a perfect match. There are no anomalies to indicate a clone." She was going to continue but the look on Jack's face stopped her, "He's fine, Colonel, he will be asleep for a few more hours. That transformation really took a lot out of him."

Jack gave her a small grateful smile, seems she knew him well.

Janet then continued, "He seems to be a very healthy six year old physically. The thing I am concerned with is that the scans also show that his brain activity is no longer that of an adult; instead it is like that of a young child. We will have to wait until we can test to see what kind of memories he has retained. The good news is there is no apparent brain damage."

Jack's heart sank. It hadn't occurred to him that Daniel could have suffered from any memory loss or brain damage. His first word was 'Jack'. Jack looked up and explained what he was thinking, "How can you even question his memories, I told you he spoke to me and knew who I was."

Janet looked at Jack and said, "Yes, you did but there are more things we need to find out. We are not going to know anything until he is tested. He needs to have psychological tests done not only to find out what is going on with the physical aspects of this but also his emotional."

Janet was using her doctor tone with them and Jack should have known better than to argue but he tried anyway, "No, he is not going to talk with any shrinks; not after what happened to him with the Ma'chello incident!"

General Hammond understood Jack's concerns but realized the doctor was right, "Colonel, this isn't a debate. When Dr. Jackson is able he will be tested."

Jack's mouth opened to defend his position but quickly closed again. There was no way he could argue with the General without getting himself court-martialed. Jack pushed away from the table and said, "Permission to go see Daniel, sir?"

General Hammond nodded and said, "Granted."

Janet waited for Jack to leave the room before saying, "The only Psychiatrist with clearance is Dr. MacKenzie."

General Hammond sighed, "Jack isn't going to like that."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The three people still in the debriefing room remained quiet for a moment after the doctor left. They were all busy thinking about the implications of the report the doctor just gave. Possible brain damage, that was what she said; and he would need to be assessed by Dr. MacKenzie. They all thought back to the time when Daniel was in that padded cell and about how Dr. MacKenzie wanted to keep him there. Sam had a sinking feeling about that Dr. being the one to 'help' Daniel, but there was nothing she could do.

General Hammond was the first to break the silence, "Major, I want you and Teal'c to get another UAV to that planet and see if it is safe to go and recheck that temple."

The expected "Yes, sir," was immediate.

He continued, "It appears I have a phone call to make; dismissed."

Both Teal'c and Sam rose to leave the room. The General remained seated. He wanted to hang his head in his hands or better yet, bury it in the sand. He did not want to make this phone call. Briefing the president about Daniel's situation meant that he was informing Vice President Kinsey. Kinsey would tell the NID. How were they going to protect a six year old Daniel from the NID? He stood and walked towards his office thinking, 'we have to fix this.' He sat down at his desk and picked up the red phone.

Jack stood by the chair closest to Daniel's bed. He silently shook his head as he took in this new form. Fine blond hair was loosely framing his small face. His thin shoulders huddled together and his tiny hands curled up near his chin. How could this impossibly little boy be his adult best friend? He reached up to brush the hair away from Daniels eyes and saw that Daniel was in REM sleep. Jack smiled, Daniel was dreaming. He pressed a kiss to Daniel's temple and whispered, "Sweet dreams Danny Boy…" He sat down in the chair and leaned it back to rest his own eyes as he waited for his friend to wake up.

Daniel looked around the room he was standing in. He was in a tent that contained a huge amount of artifacts from the latest dig. He quietly went to check out a large vase. He looked over his shoulder to make sure he was alone. He was not allowed in this room, but it was just so tempting. There was so much to look at. He saw the writings on the vase and recognized the symbols. He reached out to brush his fingers across the vase so he could read the words. The ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics were easy to read; well, easy for him. He knew several languages including this one. His mother had taught him. He smiled as he thought about telling her what he found on the vase.

Just as his finger touched the artifact a booming voice roared through the room, "Daniel, don't touch that!"

He whirled around to face his father, knocking the vase to the ground.

His father grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the tent screaming at him. "What were you even doing in there; you know you are not allowed to go into that tent! You are always wandering off and touching things you shouldn't! What the hell is wrong with you?" Melbourne Jackson was seeing red! How many times had he told this boy not to traipse around; that he was not allowed in this tent, and now the intact vase was broken into hundreds of pieces!

Daniel was crying as he said, "I-I'm sorry…" He father never stopped the tirade, completely ignoring what Daniel had said.

Claire Ballard Jackson was just entering their family tent, searching for Daniel as she heard a huge commotion. She turned around quickly and headed out to see what all the noise was. She saw her husband with his hand roughly grasping their son's arm; dragging him forward as he cried.

Melbourne shoved Daniel towards his mother and yelled, "Do you even know what he was doing? He broke a priceless…"

The yelling continued but Daniel couldn't hear it over his own sobbing. Yes, he was told never to go in there but it wasn't his fault the piece was broken. He was just so bored and that tent held so many fascinating things. Why didn't they just let him help? He was a big boy and he could do things now! Daniel glanced around and saw that his father had stormed off into the tent. His mother had been explaining something that Daniel had missed as he was still bawling. The last words were the ones he made out, "and stay out here while I speak with him."

Daniel knew he was in big trouble now. His mother didn't even try to comfort him; instead she went into the tent after his father. Daniel's tears were dying down as he tried to calm himself so he could hear what his parents were saying.

His father was still yelling and his mother was trying to calm him down, "He's just a little boy, he gets curious," she said soothingly.

His father was too far gone for that to bring comfort though. "We never should have taken him! Kids don't belong at a dig!" he shouted.

Now his mother's voice rose and she yelled, "Well what was I supposed to do? He was my cousin's baby! My aunt and uncle died in that accident; they were going to be the ones to raise him. When my dad brought him to us to raise, should I have told him no?"

There was no pause when his father yelled, "Yes, damn it, that is what you were supposed to do! Tell him not just no, but hell no! We didn't plan to have kids; this is no place to raise them."

He could hear the tears in his mother's voice when she said, "He didn't have anywhere else to go, Mel. They said his father left town after signing the papers. They didn't even tell him that it was my aunt and uncle that were going to adopt him! I couldn't just leave the baby! He and my dad are all the family I have left. So when my dad brought him here I just had to keep him…" Her voice cracked on the last word and she broke down into tears.

Melbourne's anger was fading; this was a useless argument that they had had plenty of times before. He hated to see his wife cry, especially if he was the one that caused it. There was no use arguing about this, it wasn't like it would change anything. Mel reached out to comfort his saying, "Shhh, I didn't mean it. I was just angry. I'm sorry." And he took his wife in his arms.

Daniel felt tears running down his face. Were they going to get rid of him? Is that what his father meant by not keeping him? He was too young to understand the implications of that argument between his parents. Instead Daniel clung to the last part of what his father said, 'he said he didn't mean it.' That meant that they were going keep him. He was just angry and grown up say stupid stuff when they are angry. Daniel decided to ignore the rest of the fight. His father was sorry for making his mother cry and that was all that mattered. Well, until they dealt with him for going into the tent and breaking the vase. Maybe they would forget? Daniel tried to hide a hopeful smile. Yeah, sometimes grown-ups just forget things…

Jack was startled awake when his foot slipped and his chair tipped forward again. He must have fallen asleep. All of this waiting was exhausting, he mused to himself. He was immediately brought out of his good mood when he looked down at his best friend. He still could not believe that Daniel had become a little boy. How were they ever going to fix this? As he was staring two eyes locked on his.

Daniel blinked and looked up to Jack. He glanced around the room and realized he was in the infirmary. He breathed a sigh of relief, looked at Jack again and said, "I just had the strangest dream, Jack! I was a little boy and I had just…" Daniel paused as he took in the look on Jack's face. Something wasn't right here. He looked around the room again but it looked like it always did whenever Daniel came back from a mission injured. 'Oh no!' Daniel thought, 'I must have been badly hurt for him to look this worried.' He decided to go for the more direct approach and just asked, "Jack is something wrong?"

Jack was surprised to see Daniel's clear blue eyes stare up at him and more than a little shocked when he started talking about a dream he had. His face lost all its color when Daniel mentioned being a little boy. He stood there, unable to think of what to say when Daniel's next question hit him hard. Is something wrong? 'Yes!' he wanted to scream, 'something is very wrong!' He stood next to Daniel's bed. It took him a moment to compose himself enough to say, "Danny, what do you remember?"

Daniel paused at Jack's question, well, more like the start of it. Jack was so worried that he not only didn't answer but instead called him Danny? His brows wrinkled with confusion and he looked around the room again. He was getting scared and he thought he was going to cry! This was ridiculous! He was a grown man for crying out loud, he couldn't cry just because Jack held so much concern for him in that one question. He had to pull himself together! Daniel was embarrassed by his voice cracking as he began to retell the story. "We went to PX… PX…" He stopped. He could not remember the numbers. This must be what was wrong. He must have hit his head! He was just going to push through and it would all come back to him, he knew it. He cleared his throat and started, "We went to the planet," he forged on, "and you and I were looking at the temple." Memories started swirling around his head as he thought about the temple.

Now he knew what was going on, Jack found out he lied about the condition of the temple. He stared down at his feet as if they were the most interesting thing in the room. He began to speak again but wouldn't look at Jack and said, "I'm sorry I said the temple looked fine." He started to speed up his speech to get it out, "but you wouldn't have let me go in if you knew there was more damage since the UAV."

Jack was surprised by the admission. He knew that there was more damage! But more importantly the fact that Daniel had remembered such a detail had to prove his brain was fine. He decided to let the lie slide for now as he encouraged Daniel to continue. "Okay, what else do you remember?"

Daniel looked up into Jack's eyes and did not see the anger he had feared. That couldn't be good; he as much as told Jack he just lied to his face and Jack was letting it go? There must be more to this, why couldn't he remember? Maybe if he just pushed through it really would all come back to him.

Daniel looked back down and said, "We went in the temple anyway. We looked around, I videoed it, I started finding readings that were the opposite each other." Daniel got a faraway look on his face as he recounted the story. It was slowly coming back to him; but what did the walls actually say?

He looked back up at Jack and skipped to what he did remember, "then the ground shook and…" He paused again. He could see it! He was watching it all happen as if it was a dream! "A door opened! I remember, Jack, a door to a very small room opened and I went to it. You, you yelled at me." His confidence grew as he stated what he could recall. "You yelled and I turned and the ground shook again."

Now the pause was much longer. Daniel was remembering what happened next and it frightened him. He didn't want to tell Jack anymore; he didn't even know if words could say what happened. He began to play with the sheet, his bottom lip quivering. He was not going to cry! Could this get any worse? All he wanted to do was cry and be held, what was going on with him?

Jack watched as Daniel got more animated in his tale. The story was exactly what Jack remembered too; but this new pause had him worried. He watched as Daniel started to fidget and fiddle with the sheet. His heart broke as he watched Daniel try valiantly to hold back tears. He prodded, "Then?"

Daniel's tear filled eyes darted up to Jack's. He could see the love and concern in Jack's eyes as he said, "I fell into the wall and the door closed. I couldn't get it to open, Jack. I tried everything but it wouldn't open…then it did and you were there." He sobbed out the last few words. Why was he crying? He was acting like such a baby. He was actually a little surprised Jack wasn't making fun of him. As the tears fell down his face he tried to hide in his hands. He felt Jacks arms pull him forward and hold him. He wanted to push away and tell him that he was fine but the comfort was too much to let go of. He wanted to be held and comforted so much and Jack was doing just that. Jack always knew how to take care of him. He snuggled further into the hug.

The pair stayed like that for a long time. Daniel's tears had finally subsided and Jack managed to wipe away the few of his that fell too. Finally Daniel leaned back and asked, "What is going on with me? What happened on that planet?"

Jack looked into his eyes, eyes that were far too old to be on the face of a six year old, he grabbed Daniel's hand and sighed, "I wish I knew, Danny Boy, I wish I knew."

Daniel was still holding on to Jack's shirt and he glanced down at the hand that under Jack's. He abruptly snatched his hand back and stared at it, then looked back at Jack's hand. This whole time his perception had been off but his brain hadn't put it all together. Now as he mentally made the comparison of both hands he began to panic. His eyes flew up to Jack's but at his soft, sad expression he darted his gaze down to his body. "Nooo, this isn't right! Jack, this isn't right. Why are my hands so small?" He reached up and put his hands over his face. He was beginning to recollect all the things that his mind dismissed earlier. His voice was too high, his gaze too low and the overwhelming need to cry! His eyes widened as he looked at Jack, silently begging him to fix this. Now he remembered the little room and Jack finding him; "I didn't mean to touch anything."

His words echoing the words he first told Jack as the tears came again. Jack just pulled him closer saying, "I know, Danny, I know."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Jack had already told Daniel everything they knew so far. Daniel couldn't believe it, he was a little boy again. He let out a long suffering sigh. This was the worst possible news! His first childhood had been bad enough but now? Who was going to take care of him? There is no way they would let him leave here by himself!

They were sitting in an uncomfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts, when Janet walked up to them. "I see you're awake, how are you feeling?" She asked looking toward Daniel.

He looked back at her and said, "Well, other than the obvious problem here, I feel fine." He smiled to further prove his point. He could lie with the best of them! He probably felt as far from 'fine' as one could get!

Although Janet didn't buy his act, she proceeded on, "That's good to hear. What all do you remember?" She asked as she began to check his vitals.

Daniel explained everything that he had told Jack, minus the crying, about the trip to the planet. He didn't mention the parts he couldn't remember, like the planet's designation. He also chose to leave out the dream he had. There was something about that dream troubling him. It wasn't that he couldn't remember something; it was that he remembered too much. There were far too many details in that dream. Usually he only remembered bits of dreams or just the really scary parts; but with this dream he remembered everything. He could still smell the stale air of the tent and the feel of his father's arm around his. He could also remember every word of his parent's conversation. That was what bothered him the most. He pushed those thoughts down deep in his mind. He needed to concentrate on what happened to him; and more importantly, how to fix it!

Janet continued her check up on Daniel, listening intently on what he was saying. She was rather impressed with his recall. He did seem to remember everything about the trip. She looked up towards Jack and noticed the rather smug smile across his face. She looked back at Daniel and was determined that she was right. He still needed to be evaluated by a proper psychiatrist. They need to make absolutely sure all his needs were being met; even if the Colonel and Daniel didn't think so.

Janet was interrupted from her musings by Daniel's question. "When do I get to get outta here?"

She had to pause to think about an answer. She slowly said, "Daniel, you won't be able to go home like this. There is no way we could allow a six year old to live by himself; it would draw too much attention."

Daniel understood that, but what did that mean? Were they going to keep him here forever? He could feel the tears prick at his eyes. He tried to hold them off, he couldn't break down now!

Janet was ready for the inevitable argument. Daniel opened his mouth, not knowing what to say but Jack beat him to it, "He can stay with me."

Daniel closed his mouth and looked up at Jack with awe. Would he really want Daniel to come stay with him? Sure, they were friends, best friends even, but now he was… What was he now? He didn't feel like himself, but he didn't feel like a little boy either. He had most of his memories from before, minus a detail or two. The problem was emotionally he felt like a child; and that bothered him greatly. Now here was Jack willing to take him home. Daniel felt tears well up in his eyes. His own grandfather hadn't wanted that, how could Jack.

"Jaack?" Daniels' voice broke on that one word. There were a thousand words locked up in that name. Jack looked into Daniel's eyes and saw the fear and love. Such a strange mix of emotions in eyes that were far too old to be set in that little face.

Jack put his hand on Daniel shoulder. "Daniel." He said firmly. He knew of Daniel's history; of his fear of rejection. There was no way his friend would go through this alone.

Janet watched the interaction between the two and said, "We will need to get it approved by the General, why don't we set up a VIP room in the mean time. I would rather you be close in case of any problems, but there is no reason for you to remain here."

Both Jack and Daniel looked at Janet when she began to speak then they looked at each other. Jack squeezed Daniel's shoulder in a supportive gesture and said, "How does that sound, Dannyboy?"

Daniel sat and thought for a second. It was better than staying in the infirmary, but he suddenly didn't want to be alone.

Jack read the emotions crossing his face, then, looking toward Janet said, "That sounds great to me, Daniel and I can stay there until we can get this figured out."

Daniel looked up with relief and said with a grateful sigh, "Thanks Jack."

Jack smiled down at Daniel, his mind still calculating how much this boy looked like Charlie. He mentally kicked himself and pushed those thoughts away. He needed to focus on Daniel. Daniel was not Charlie, no matter how similar they look. It was just his mind playing tricks on him. Of course the little boy would look like his son. He tried to focus on the things that were different. Daniel's hair was a bit lighter and his eyes were blue, not the dark brown orbs Charlie had.

Ugh, this wasn't helping! No, it was just because he and Daniel were so close. Yes, and that is the reason his feelings towards him were always bordering on if not completely crossing over into paternal. He needed to get a hold of himself! He had to get outta here. He patted the shoulder he had been holding and said to Daniel, "I will go take care of that. You listen to the Dr." He then ruffled Daniel's hair and playfully said, "and be a good boy."

Daniel pushed his hand away saying. "Jaaaccck!" Then he rolled his eyes.

The exchange was so familiar Janet could feel tears pricking her eyes as she watched the Colonel leave the room. This just wasn't fair. Why did everything happen to Daniel? She admonished herself for the pity she began to feel. No, this was better than the time he came back with radiation poisoning. At least this time he wasn't ascending! They would be able to keep him here and safe. She looked back at Daniel who was watching her intensely and said, "You must be starving. Let me go and order you some food…"

Daniel interjected saying, "Janet, I'm…" Janet stopped him immediately and said, "Don't you dare say fine! You need to eat and get some rest or you are going to be staying here even longer!"

Daniel gulped, that was exactly what he was going to say. He changed his tune really fast after the threat of staying there longer. "I was going to say, I was a little hungry." He lied smoothly but didn't look her in the eye.

Janet knew better but didn't call him on it. "Good," she said, "then I will go and set that up." With that she left the room too.

This left Daniel all alone with his thoughts; thoughts that immediately went back to that dream. He really didn't want to think about that. He once again shoved the memory aside and tried to focus on what he was forgetting about the planet. Why was the designation so important? No, not the designation, the important part was the planet's name… He slammed his body back towards the bed. Why couldn't he remember? There was something he needed to know but it was just beyond his ability to recall. He stared blankly at the wall in front of him. This was doing no good. Maybe if he let his mind work on it a little longer. He went back through what he could remember. He squeezed his eyes closed. He wished Jack were still with him. He really didn't want to be alone. He opened his eyes again to recount the trip. This was going to be a long day…

Sam sat, staring at the monitor. She could not believe the devastation shown by the UAV footage. The tremors that hit while they were still on the planet hadn't been that bad but in the few hours since they had left the seismic activity had increased a hundred fold! The Stargate was lying at an odd angle, no longer upright. There were huge cracks in the ground creating cliffs and valleys; but the worst part was the temple. They had a hard time finding its exact location but multiple views pinpointed where it used to stand. The building appeared to have been pushed by a landslide into an open fault line. The bottom of the chasm created was several miles below. The entire structure had disintegrated. Even if they could get to what was left there was nothing big enough to reassemble. Sam felt her eyes well up with tears. She couldn't even form a rational thought on how to proceed next. Her heart ached for Daniel. How could she fix this if she didn't even have the equipment that did this to him in the first place? What could she test or study to make sense of all of this?

Sam was lost in her despair when she heard Teal'c. She had forgotten that he was even in the room. "MajorCarter, did O'Neill not bring back DanielJackson's bag. Would it contain the video recording unit?"

Sam jumped up shouting, "Yes! He did have the pack! I am sure Daniel would have videoed the ruins." She got up to find where the backpack had been placed; praying the recorder was actually in the bag.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Jack paused at the open door to the General's office before lifting his hand to lightly knock on it.

General Hammond looked up, "What can I help you with Colonel?"

Jack stepped further in the office and shut the door behind him. He stood at parade rest, "Sir, I would like to the one to take care of Daniel. I discussed it with Dr. Fraiser and she thinks for the time being it would be better for us to stay in a VIP room."

The General nodded and said, "That sounds like a good idea, I will have Walter set it up."

Jack nodded but didn't leave.

The General asked, "Is there something else?"

Jack took a deep breath. He didn't even want to consider what he was about to say but he had to cover all possibilities. "General, if we are not able to fix this, I would like to adopt Daniel. There is no way I want him going back through foster care."

The General had already considered this possibility too. He wasn't surprised that Jack would want to be the one to care for Daniel. He did have to admit that he was slightly afraid that the older man would not embrace the idea. With what happened to Charlie he had feared that the Colonel would shy away from being considered a father again. He chuckled to himself mentally. He should have known better, this was Daniel Jackson and nothing brought out Jack's paternal instincts more than their archeologist. "Agreed, I will do everything within my power to make that happen." The General began then continued with, "Let's just hope it doesn't come down to that.

"I have Major Carter and Teal'c getting new UAV footage so we can determine a safe time to return to the planet." General Hammond informed.

Jack nodded his head. With everything that had happened to Daniel, he hadn't even thought about the safety factor due to the seismic activity on the planet. "Understood, Sir," Jack said. "If you don't mind then, I will head down to Sam's lab to see if there is anything I can help with."

The General smiled at the thought of Jack helping; he would be far more likely to cajole them into working faster and said, "Dismissed."

Jack turned and walked towards the door. Before he reached the threshold he turned back to the General and with sincerity said, "Thank you, Sir." They both knew he was talking about the General helping him with the adoption of Daniel.

The General said, "Go take care of our boy." Jack nodded and continued out of the room.

Sam was frantically going through the pile of items dumped from Daniels bag as Jack walked through the door to her lab. There was no way she would be able to think logically with this kind of panic. This was just not a natural look on her.

Jack looked over to Teal'c and said, "Hey Teal'c, how about you head back to the infirmiry and see if Dr. Fraiser will let Daniel out to the commissary for lunch. I think we could all use a break right about now."

Teal'c bowed slightly and walked towards the door without another word being spoken.

Sam heard the exchange and without looking up began to urgently state, "Sir, there is no way I can take a break right now. I have to find the camcorder and reference the footage. There is too much to do to take a break." She was talking much faster than her normal pace. She threw down the item she had been holding and yelled, "DAMNIT! Where is that recording?"

While she had been frantically speaking and digging through the pile Jack had walked closer. He placed his hand on hers and said in a soft voice, "Sam…" That got her.

Her eyes darted up as they filled with tears. He never called her Sam at work. She thought she was freaking out but this just confirmed it. The tears fell as she said, "It's all gone. There is nothing left of the temple. How am I going to fix this? I have to find that recording, it's our only hope."

Jack listened to what she said and wanted to panic too. Nothing left of the temple? How would they fix this? He pushed his selfish thoughts aside and pulled her closer saying, "C'mere," and wrapped his arms around her. Her crying increased as she felt the warm embrace. His gentle words soothed her, "It's ok; we are going to figure this out. We need to take a little break and look on this with fresh eyes."

Her crying lessoned as he held her. When she was calmer he spoke again saying, "Besides, we need to be strong for Daniel. I spoke with him earlier and although his mind seems right, his behavior is off. I'm worried about him."

Sam leaned back and looked into Jack's eyes. "What do you mean, 'off'?" she asked with concern.

Jack paused, how to explain this? He knew looking into her eyes that he could tell her anything. She loved that boy as much as he did. Wait, what? Did he just think that? No, this is not the time to be thinking about loving a child that isn't ours. No, this wasn't helping at all! 'Ours', now he wasn't only thinking of Daniel as 'his' son but his and Sam's! He let go of Sam and walked a bit away trying to rid himself of the confusing thoughts.

He answered her slowly, "He, he's crying and frightened." He shook his head and then said, "Sam, I have never seen him like this. I haven't seen that 'terrified of the unknown' look in a child's eyes since Charlie." And here they were again. Damnit! Daniel wasn't Charlie! He had to stop doing that.

He was interrupted from his mental scolding when Sam reached up to cup his cheek and said, "Just be there for him, Jack. He trusts you."

He nearly jumped at her touch. He hadn't noticed that she had gotten so close again. They stood like that for a moment; both began to lean towards the other. Abruptly they both stopped and stepped apart. They were in the lab with cameras all around them! This was the last thing they needed to do. Jack found his voice first, "Lunch, then?" he asked.

Sam gave him a small smile and replied, "That is probably a really good idea." They both left the lab and headed toward the infirmary.

When they reached the infirmary they saw Teal'c pulling up some chairs around Daniel's bed. Teal'c saw them and answered the unasked question, "DanielJackson felt it would be less awkward to eat here. I agreed, we are having food brought to us."

Jack nodded. He hadn't thought about having a six year old at their usual lunch table. Yes, that would have been stare provoking.

Sam walked over to the make shift lunch table and said, "I hope they bring us blue jello." Daniel began to giggle. Jack froze. The sound was so sweet and incongruous with their normal lunch room routine. Jack was glad that Daniel didn't see the look of shock that flashed across his face. He knew they needed to be as 'normal' as possible for Daniel's sake. Sam was already doing just that, anticipating the need. He knew she was his 2IC for a reason. He once again pushed aside his thoughts and joined the team.

Their lunch was casual and comfortable. None of them touched on the subject of Daniel's transformation. They joked and laughed and spoke as if nothing had changed. They needed this respite; needed to feel 'normal' even if just for a little while.

As they finished their meal Sam was joking about an old mission and Daniel was adding in details when Janet walked up. "Good to see you actually eating your lunch, Dr. Jackson," Janet said with mock sternness in her voice. Daniel had the good grace to blush and Jack raised an eyebrow at him. Daniel mumbled that he hadn't been that hungry earlier. Janet lost her playful tone as she admonished him about eating at regular intervals. She continued explaining that this new size would require different amounts of sleep and nutrition.

Daniel started to sit up straighter to defend himself when Jack said firmly, "Don't worry; he won't be missing any more meals."

Daniel's eyes flashed over to Jack. His firm look brooked no argument.

Daniel crossed his arms and said, "Fine." Jack gave him a light smile.

The charge of the room changed when Janet then said, "Good to hear. There is also the matter of meeting with the psychiatrist. I have set up the appointment at 1500."

Daniel's look of resignation from earlier changed to panic. Jack reached his hand up to his shoulder in a comforting manner. His eyes telegraphed the protection he felt towards Daniel for a moment before breaking the gaze and asking, "Who is the shrink?"

Janet took a breath and said, "Dr. MacKenzie."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Jack watched as Daniel, wide eyed and terrified, followed Dr. Fraiser down the hall to the shrink's office. He was only a few steps away from entering behind him when Dr. MacKenzie stopped him saying that this needed to be done without any interference. He was about to shove Mackenzie out of his way when he heard a terse, "Colonel O'Neill, may I see you for a moment?"

Jack's eyes darted towards the unexpected sound and saw General Hammond standing, waiting for him to reply. He turned back towards Daniel and with an apologetic sigh and said, "I will be waiting out here if you need me, Danny." He could see the unshed tears in Daniel's eyes. Daniel paused but nodded his head once in understanding.

Daniel gave himself a quick mental pep talk. He could do this! He was a grown man for crying out loud! He flashed a Jack small smile to let him know he understood. While Jack appreciated the gesture it did nothing to reassure him.

Jack stood there a moment longer while Dr. MacKenzie was shutting the door saying, "Well, Danny…"

Jack's face broke into a broad grin when he heard Daniel interrupt by saying, "It's Dr. Jackson or Daniel. Now let's get started."

Jack felt an enormous surge of pride when he heard the confidence coming from Daniel. Jack knew it was a defense mechanism but he was proud that his boy wasn't going to let this get him down.

Jack slammed his eyes closed. Damn it! He was doing it again; 'his boy'! Since when was Daniel 'his boy'? He paused and pushed the thoughts away, the General was waiting for him. He opened his eyes and gave Dr. Fraiser a nod before heading towards the General. "Sir," he greeted the general.

"Coronel O'Neill, I think there is something we need to discuss with your entire team. Gather them and meet me in the debriefing room."

Jack's eyes flashed to the door Daniel entered. "Don't worry, Son, they are going to be a while."

That comment didn't bring Jack any comfort but he turned and said, "Yes, Sir," and walked to get the remaining members of his team.

Daniel watched as Dr. MacKenzie sat behind his large desk and motioned for him to sit in one of the chairs in front of it. He hid a smirk as he sat down. Daniel knew that sitting behind the desk was a way for a Psychiatrist to project power and not foster a relationship. That was fine with him; he had no desire to have anything ongoing with the 'good' doctor.

"Ok," Dr. MacKenzie began, opening the manila folder containing Daniels' records. "Let's start with the basics. What is your name?"

Daniel again had to hide his irritation; man this was going to be long! Psychology 101, person, place and time. He was really starting slow! Daniel knew that he was going to be asked questions that let the doctor know he knew who he was, where he was and when he was. Daniel didn't need to concentrate as he answered the questions. He let his mind wander to the dream he had of his parents as he answered his name and where he was born. He allowed himself to think about finding a way to reverse what happened to him as he answered where he was and what he did at the SGC. His mind even started to go back over what all happened to him at the planet as he answered who the latest president was, and the one before that, and the one before that and the one before that.

Daniel was so caught up in his own mind that when the question of his age, by way of asking his birth date, he answered without thinking, "July 8th, 1969."

He was abruptly brought back to the conversation when he noticed the doctor pause, flip back through his personnel file and ask, "Excuse me?"

Daniel felt a strong surge of panic as he mentally went back through the conversation to see what he did wrong. Damn it! He should have been paying attention! Daniel tried to stall for the time to figure out what he had said so he asked, "What?"

Dr. Mackenzie asked again, "What is your date of birth?"

'Oh, crap!' Daniel thought as he realized his mistake. He knew this was going to backfire on him one day and apparently today was the day. Now his only choice was to look like he couldn't remember his own birthday or tell the truth. Either way this looked bad. If he told the truth he had to admit to falsifying documents. His internal debate ended with him saying, "I can explain."

The doctor gave him an 'oh this is going to be good' look and Daniel visually cringed. He looked down at the floor as he quietly explained, "You know that my when my parents died I was placed in foster care." He glanced up, seeing the doctor was still waiting and quickly glanced back down. "Well, um, when I started school they had to test to see where I needed to be placed. Even though I was only 8, my tests placed me in 6th grade." He gave a small shrug at the doctors disbelieving look; after all, an 8 yr old should be in, at best, third grade. He looked sheepish as he explained, "I had been homeschooled and was advanced."

The doctor sat there and waited for the rest of the explanation. "How exactly does skipping a few grades make you forget what year you were born?" he asked impatiently.

Daniel knew the hard part was coming but he had to force himself to explain. "Well, that meant that I graduated high school when I was 14. When the time came to go to college I was having trouble getting all the paper work filled out and no one took me seriously. I was also in between foster homes so I didn't have a guardian to fill out the forms for a minor." Daniel paused again and took a deep breath and rushed out, "so I changed my age to 18 on all my official documents and I never changed them back." He paused again and was staring at his feet as if they were the most interesting thing in the room as he explained, "So I am sure that those records say that my birth year is 1965."

There was a heavy silence in the room. Daniel was afraid to look up as he heard the doctor writing in his file. He was still kicking himself for ever changing the records; or in the very least, answering with the changed date! Finally he looked up and said, "Can we just move past this. I know I will have to talk with General Hammond about the," he faltered as he searched for a better word then 'lie'. "Discrepancy." Yes, 'discrepancy' was much better then 'lie'! He pleaded with his eyes.

Dr. MacKenzie stopped writing and looked up at Daniel. He gauged his sincerity; he set his pen down and nodded. "Ok, Daniel, let's move forward."

The three remaining members of SG1, Dr. Fraiser and General Hammond were all sitting around the table in the conference room trying to digest the news that General Hammond had just explained. Sam couldn't articulate a question to help this situation make sense. Jack was the first to break the silence, "So are you saying that Daniel's placement depends on what MacKensie says and there is nothing we can do about it?" The question dripped with anger.

General Hammond, in his usual no nonsense voice said, "That is exactly what I am saying. The Vice President said that since Daniel has no living relatives to be guardians then his placement would be determined by the psychiatrist."

Jack slammed his fist on to the table, "That is ridiculous! Kinsey is only doing that so he can get his hands on Daniel. Even if Nicholas Ballard was around there is no way he would be able to care for a child! This just has the NID all over it!"

"Sir," Sam started as she finally broke free from the shock of the situation, "can't the President do anything?"

General Hammond was already shaking his head no before she finished the question. "He, for some unknown reason, is deferring to Vice President Kinsey on this one. I have already tried to explain the entire situation to him but he wouldn't listen. Looks like we are on our own here this time."

"I am sure DoctorMacKensie will see that the best place for DanielJackson will be here." Teal'c intoned.

Sam began before Teal'c even finished, "We're his family!" She could feel the tears pricking her eyes; there was no way she would let Daniel go without a fight! She didn't feel sadness about this but a righteous anger. "No one has the right to take my," she paused, she almost said son! Where did that come from? Instead she stated louder, shaking her head a little, "uh, Daniel!"

Janet remained quiet throughout this discussion. She was the one that insisted there be a psychiatric evaluation of Daniel; but anyone could see that the best place for Daniel would be here with his 'family'. With an obvious Jack as a father figure, General Hammond as grandfather, and Teal'c as a loving 'uncle', even with Janet herself as a doting 'aunt'. What surprised her the most in her thinking was where she felt Sam stood in this makeshift 'family'. Before this incident she would have pictured Sam as more a big sister to Daniel but now, with the ferocious anger coming from her friend she would definitely place Sam more in the 'mama bear' category. Janet could tell that Sam's love for Daniel rivaled Janet's own love for Cassie and that was really saying something. The only thing Janet could think to say was, "We are going to have to focus on reversing this."

Jack looked over to General Hammond and asked, "What about Thor or the Nox or even the Tok'ra? There's gotta be someone out there that can fix this!"

General Hammond's eyes softened as he answered, "We sent messages out to all of them, and we are just waiting to hear back from them."

Jack was still grasping at straws when he asked, "Well what about going back to the planet?" All the faces in the room became solemn. Jack knew something was wrong so he asked, "What?"

There was a pregnant pause in the room before Sam said, "Sir, the planet…" Sam found it difficult to speak around the lump in her throat. "I was telling you about it earlier…"

Teal'c continued the explanation, "There is nothing left on the planet, O'Neill. The temple is in ruins."

Jack put his head into his hands. With his worry over Daniel and this new information about Daniel's placement he completely forgot that Sam had already told him about the planet. Denial not just being a river in Egypt and all. Damnit! How could he have forgotten? Better yet, what the hell were they going to do now?

Sam continued on, "Our only hope now is the video recording of the temple. Well that and Daniel's help." That was what Sam was looking for in the bag.

General Hammond realized that the team needed to direct their energy on what they could do said, "I want all of you to focus on that video and see if we can figure this whole thing out." With that said the team gave their non verbal agreement. "Good, dismissed."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Daniel was getting bored and restless as the evaluation proceeded. So much time had passed. They already covered his childhood and did I.Q. testing. They had even gone through to his early years in the program. He was really starting to become uneasy. Not only was his body beginning to act its age by fidgeting but the questions were starting to ask about things that were seriously classified. Daniel wanted to answer and be amiable to the evaluation but something just didn't feel right about this. He was sure that the doctor had clearance but how much clearance was debatable. Things came to a head when Dr. MacKenzie wanted to hypnotize Daniel.

"No way! There is no way I am going under without my team being present!" Daniel was actually proud that he said team and not Jack. That made it seem more like he was protecting them instead of relying on Jack to protect him.

Dr. MacKenzie became agitated and all but yelled at him, "You want to say that you are still the man inside that little body but now want to hide behind Jack?"

Damn! He thought he was projecting himself better than that! Apparently MacKenzie could see right through him. MacKenzie wasn't done though, he continued in lower but more calculated tone, "You know I could just strap you down and medicate you for this. It is entirely your choice as to whether you want to be hypnotized with or without sedation."

With that said Daniel jumped up and ran for the door. Being hypnotized was a bad idea but allowing MacKenzie to strap him down and sedate him was out of the question. He needed Jack, NOW! Daniel reached the door, threw it open and ran as fast as he could. With all the time that had passed he had no idea where the team could have gone so did what any six year old would do, he screamed for them.

Jack was pacing; his angry steps vibrated throughout the lab. That damn Dr. MacKenzie had had Daniel in his clutches for over 4 hours and Jack was no closer to calming down then he had been when Janet first mentioned the meeting. Sam and Teal'c were reviewing the tape and comparing the notes Daniel had written when they heard a child scream. The words were too high pitched to make out but the team knew that Daniel was in trouble. Sam dropped what she was holding and shot out of the lab; Jack and Teal'c on her heels. The sight before them was heartbreaking, Daniel, with tears streaming down his face, running as if his life depended upon it and Dr. MacKenzie giving chase. Sam acted on instinct and ran towards Daniel and knelt down. Daniel ran right into her arms and she scooped him up in a protective embrace.

Jack watched as Sam held Daniel and knew his boy would be safe with her. Jack continued towards Dr. MacKenzie until they were face to face with Jack dangerously inside the doctor's personal space. "What do you think you are doing?" Jack shouted.

MacKenzie didn't flinch but instead yelled, "I am not done with him! We have not finished the evaluation."

Jack was about to respond when he felt a heavy hand fall on his shoulder. He glanced to see Teal'c standing close to him.

The hand did not move as Teal'c informed the doctor, "I believe you are done now." The voice was low and controlled but the threat was apparent.

Dr. MacKenzie backed up and glanced towards Sam. Sam was no longer paying attention to the scene; her sole focus was on the boy in her arms. Her embrace and soothing words were helping to undo the damage the doctor had inflicted. Dr. MacKenzie looked back at Teal'c and then to Jack and said, "Fine. You will have my report soon." The smug look on his face did not go unnoticed by Jack or Teal'c. Teal'c tightened his hold on Jack's shoulder giving the man strength to not respond.

Daniel began to relax as Sam held him. He was trying very hard not to think about the fact that he was behaving like a child. Instead he relished the way he felt. He thought back to a time when being wrapped in a woman's arms made him feel so safe and loved. Not even with Sha're had he felt so protected. No, the last time he felt this way was with his mother. Daniel blinked hard trying to understand these feelings. This was too much, he never considered Sam a mother figure before. And there lies the kicker, he never felt it _before_. He wasn't ready to accept the fact that his emotions were not what they used to be. Sure he considered Sam, Jack and Teal'c family but he had considered himself to be a sibling, not a son! He really didn't want to think about it right now so he gently pushed back from Sam and said, "I'm ok."

"Like hell you are!" Jack all but shouted. Daniel was surprised to see him standing so close and wondered how long he had been there. Did Jack see him whimpering like a baby in Sam's arms?

Teal'c saw Daniel's look of horror and said, "O'Neill, would it not be wise to have this discussion in some place more private?"

Sam was already nodding and said, "Yeah, let's go talk in the lab," as she began to walk back towards it. Jack and Teal'c followed.

Once they were all sitting in the lab Daniel explained what had happened during the session with Dr. MacKenzie. He debated on whether or not to tell the team about the age _discrepancy_, but decided against it for now. He knew he was only delaying the inevitable, but after his display earlier he just couldn't bring himself to tell them the truth.

He had gotten up to the part about the hypnotizing. When he told them about the doctor wanting to strap him down and medicate him to do it Jack said, "I'll kill him!" His voice was deceptively calm.

Daniel looked up at him and was shocked to see him pacing. He had a look of barely contained rage. Daniel looked over at Sam and Teal'c and was equally surprised to see their anger. He was hoping it wasn't something he had done. Maybe he shouldn't have run; maybe they were mad because he didn't finish the session.

His mind would have continued through the range of self doubt until Teal'c said, "If he had harmed you in any way…" The statement just hung there; there was no need to complete it. The look in his eyes promised retribution. Daniel realized that their enragement was not directed towards him.

He looked back at Jack and said, "There is only one way to stop this." Jack stopped his pacing to look at him. Daniel continued confidently, "and that is to reverse what has happened to me." The quiet ease with which the words were spoken belied the terror Daniel felt. The two words, 'what if' plagued him. What if they couldn't find the answer? What if their allies didn't know how to fix him? What if he had to stay like this until he grew up again? Daniel felt his mind racing and he wondered idly if he was like this as a child, not able to slow his thoughts down and always worried. He probably was, he surmised.

Daniel was slowly roused from his thoughts as he realized no one had spoken. He glanced back up at his team questioningly. Sam was the first to speak, "The planet…" but she found she couldn't utter the words.

Daniel's eyes flashed to each team member until Teal'c responded, "the planet was destroyed, DanielJackson."

"What?" Daniel exclaimed while backing up. This couldn't be happening. They needed to go back to planet PX3- whatever it was! He stopped and looked back up with resolve. "Is there anything left?" He asked with an assuredness he didn't feel. He startled when he felt Jack's hand on his shoulder but was grateful for the comfort.

Sam was again the first to respond to him by saying, "There is nothing left on the planet but we do have your video and notes." She walked over to his notebook and handed it to him while explaining, "The video is already set up."

Daniel only nodded as he began to scan what he had written. 'Well, at least this is something…' Daniel thought as he flipped the pages trying to gather as much information as he could.

Hours had passed and Daniel still felt no closer to figuring out what had happened to him. He was feeling himself lose hope that he would ever be able to fix it. He was near tears but trying valiantly to hide it.

Jack saw that Daniel was exhausted and getting upset so he said, "Alright, kids, let's take a break and go and get dinner."

Daniel's distress turned to irritation when he heard the 'kids' comment. It didn't matter that it was something Jack said often, right now it hit just a little too close to home. "I'm fine, you guys go ahead, and I'll just work here." Daniel said even though dinner did sound really good right about now he wasn't going to quit until he had the answers he was looking for.

Jack was already walking towards the door when he heard Daniel. He turned around and firmly stated, "Daniel." The one word said volumes but instead of Daniel giving in he gave Jack a defiant glare. Jack paused, took a breath and said to Sam and Teal'c, "Why don't you guys go and get us all something and meet us in the VIP room."

Teal'c nodded once and Sam replied, "Yes Sir."

Jack walked back towards Daniel and sat down next to him. Daniel felt the move but refused to look up. He thought if he looked into Jack's eyes that he might start to cry. He knew that if he started to cry there was no way he was going to stop. He had to find the answers; he knew that there was something he was missing! It was some clue right on the tip of his subconscious… Something about the planet's designation, no, that's not right. It was something about the planet's NAME. But he didn't know the planet's name, and couldn't even remember the designation if you really wanted the truth.

Daniel glanced up when he realized that Jack had been talking to him. Oh crap! What did he just ask? Jack continued, not aware that Daniel had tuned him out, "I know you are so why don't we just go to the VIP room and eat."

Oh, so that was it, Jack was asking him if he was hungry. It wasn't like Jack to be so patient trying to get him to eat. He wanted to ask the age old 'who are you and what have you done with Jack O'Neill' but didn't think Jack would appreciate his humor right now. He was torn between wanting to work more and the gnawing hunger he felt. Jack stood and reached out his hand towards Daniel. The inner battle only took seconds longer before Daniel huffed and took Jack's hand.

As Jack led Daniel out of the lab towards the VIP room he breathed a sigh of relief. Daniel was notoriously difficult when it came to meal times. Actually he was notoriously difficult when it came to anything that may interfere with his work. Jack was a little surprised that Daniel gave in so quickly but figured the day must really be wearing on him. I mean, who wouldn't feel drained if they had to deal with that _doctor_ (and he means that in the most derogatory way). They hadn't even told Daniel that Dr. MacKenzie held Daniel's way of life in his hands. If that man decides that Daniel would be better off with a foster family there was no way they could stop it. Jack had to stop that kind of thinking. No they were going to find a way to fix this and even if they couldn't Jack would protect his so- Daniel! There was no way anyone would hurt his famil- team. This line of thought wasn't helping either so he decided another tactic, "Do you think they have cake?" Jack asked. Daniel rolled his eyes but failed to hide the grin.

If anyone had been around to see the pair walking away from the lab they would have smiled. It was such a cute sight to see; a gruff old military man leading his 'son' down the hall, because that is what it looked like. Both Daniel and Jack were unaware they were still holding each other's hand.


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: A little warning here: There are a couple of swats (spanking) in this chapter but nothing graphic or abusive. I just wanted to mention it in case it really isn't your thing you could stop reading now. There is also a sequence in here that will make more sense if you saw the episode "The Changeling" (the one where Teal'c 'dreams' he is a human that is married to Shauna and he is about to donate a kidney to his stepfather 'Brae'). OK, enough from me, on with the story…_

**Chapter 10**

Jack had finally gotten Daniel settled enough to eat something but it was obvious that the boy needed to rest. He gave a subtle hint to Sam and Teal'c to head out so he could try to get Daniel to go to bed. As soon as Sam and Teal'c stood, Daniel jumped to his feet; eager to resume the research into his condition. Jack immediately noticed the change in atmosphere and tried to rein Daniel back in, "Danny, you need to rest before you do any more research."

Daniel's eyes shot over to Jack's and he shouted, "Look, there is no way you are going to be stopping me. This is MY life we are talking about and I, for one, intend to find an answer. You might be happy to let things lie and pretend that nothing happened but that is IMPOSSIBLE for me to do! I will not stand here and let you dictate to me what I can and cannot do. You are not going to tell me it is time for me to take a nap when so much rides on me finding an answer to what happened to me and how to fix this!"

As Daniel continued with his tirade Jack gave Sam a nonverbal cue to go ahead and leave; that he would handle this. Sam and Teal'c quietly slipped out of the room. Daniel never paused only getting louder as he went from discussing what was happening to a full blown temper tantrum. Jack was going to allow Daniel to blow off steam until he could see reason again but he had forgotten that he was dealing with the emotions of a six year old.

"And I don't know who you think you are that you can just treat me like a child all the time! I am so tired of this…" Daniel continued and walked swiftly towards Jack and shoved him with all his might. Of course, that didn't get him very far considering his new found body lacked the strength his once six foot body had had.

Jack was taken aback for a moment before he grabbed Daniel's arm and turned him around and delivered three hard swats to his behind and he said in a commanding voice, "I know exactly who I am. I am the one telling you that you are going to be lying down in that bed and you are going to go to sleep. I don't know who you think *you* are trying to push your way around me by shouting and shoving but that just isn't going to work here!" They stood in silence for a moment before Jack raised one finger to point at the bed and stated, "NOW!"

Daniel stood for just one second longer before his little legs scrambled up to the bed and crawled under the covers. He had his back towards Jack but his eyes were still wide. Did Jack just *spank* him? His butt still stung so that is probably what happened. He closed his eyes and thought of the other times in his life he was spanked. It never mattered if it was deserved or not, Daniel always felt angry and frightened. He may have done what he had been told but he harbored such hatred for the punisher. It really took him a long time to let go of that anger and from then on he tried to be more of an ideal child. It was really hard for him growing up with all the pretty things around that he was never allowed to touch. It was much harder when he didn't understand the rules of a new foster home.

This time it was different. He didn't feel anger towards Jack at all. He felt surprised, well, shocked actually, that Jack would treat him like a child and sp- punish him but he was kinda acting like a child. And he actually did shove Jack. He cringed at the memory. Why was he acting like that? He knew Jack only had his best interests at heart and to be honest he really was tired… He felt himself blush as he replayed the incident before the rational part of his brain kicked in. He began to think of all the many cultures that use corporal punishment as discipline; especially for children. As a matter of fact, it can be traced back to…

As Daniel was processing what happened in a way that was so unique to Daniel; Jack stood still processing it himself. He turned and walked quietly to the door and let himself out. He leaned back on the door and closed his eyes. Did he just spank Doctor Daniel Jackson? Sure the kid had gotten a bit out of control, but come on! He would have never done that to Cassie! He would have never done that to someone else's child! There had never come an occasion that he felt justified in spanking someone else's kid but when Daniel came at him like he did there was no way he was letting *his* boy get away with that! He put his head in his hands. This was just getting too confusing. He always felt something more than friendship for Daniel. He had always had a strong paternal pull whenever it came to that certain archeologist… He needed to get away from here to think; and with that he pushed off the door and strode away from the VIP room.

Daniel's mind continued to wander through history before finally, blessedly, sleep overtook him. When he awoke he put his hand up to his face to rub his eyes and immediately noticed that his hand was the size of a grown man's! He took a quick look up and down his body and noticed that he had changed back to himself. He couldn't wait to tell Jack so he jumped up and realized he wasn't sure where he was. He paused and tried to think of the last thing he remembered. There was that, uh, incident (yes, that is a good word for it) with Jack and then… nothing. Ok, not nothing, he got into bed and he guessed he went to sleep, but how exactly did that get him here? Barren walls and a small cot for a bed, this didn't give him much to go on. He decided he had better figure this out very fast or he would have a lot to explain when he was found so he left the room to explore.

The room he entered looked very familiar. He tried to read the writings on the walls but the crowds of people prohibited it. No one looked familiar, but there was something about this room. This was important; but why? He turned to the nearest person and asked, "Excuse me, where are we?" but the individual ignored him, as if he wasn't even there. Not even a flinch of recognition. That was strange. He turned to ask someone else the question when the person that was walking towards him continued and walked straight through him. He took in a quick breath. Now that was weird! Ok, now just to figure out what was going on, at least it didn't seem that anyone here could see him.

He walked towards the front of the room where everyone's attention seemed to be centered upon. He dodged the people as he came to them, out of habit. It was disconcerting to actually walk through someone. He could hear someone in the front speaking in a commanding tone but couldn't make out all the words. The reason wasn't because the language was something other than English, no, he felt sure he knew this language, but it was muffled somehow.

The people seemed to be celebrating something or someone. They were cheering and everyone seemed happy. They lifted an old man upon their shoulders and paraded him around the room before stopping before a wall. They placed the old man down in front of the wall and backed away. The room grew quiet and suddenly the wall opened. Daniel was too far away to make out the room but the people around him erupted into cheers. The old man hobbled forward and entered the room before abruptly turning around to face the crowd. He gave a large grin and small wave before the wall shifted closed.

The room grew quiet and everyone seemed on edge. Daniel glanced around the room. So familiar, but he just couldn't place it. Suddenly the room broke into cheers again. Daniel turned to see that the wall had opened but the old man was gone, in his place stood a young boy. The boy was smiling a huge smile looking like he had just won the best award. An old woman hobbled up to the little boy and hugged him. The crowd again cheered. There were words being repeated in the room by the crowd. One was 'Putare' which was Latin for believe. And he heard 'juvenis recidivus' which was Latin for young man returning. There were also shouts of 'novus orsa' which meant a new beginning. He couldn't help but form his own grin; the joy in the room was contagious.

The old woman and little boy then moved to the side and another man stepped forward saying "quisnam est tunc?" Or, 'who is next?' Daniel scrunched his eyes in confusion. They seemed to be taking turns? He didn't have to wait long for another old man to step forward. The crowd again cheered and hoisted the man upon their shoulders; parading him around the room. Daniel took the opportunity to get closer to the wall they were at before. He studied the writing on the wall in front of him. The hieroglyphs talks about 'chosen ones' being given a gift and rejuvenation. It read as a choice, a second chance; but there was a warning there about making the wrong choice. The warning simply said, 'alieno panton' – to forget everything.

He watched as they placed the old man in front of the wall and back away from him. The room grew quiet as the man punched a series of buttons on the wall. Everyone waited, but nothing happened. The old man's shoulders slumped and he moved aside.

The same man from before came forward again asking, "quisnam est tunc?" (Who's next?). The old woman that was with the boy strode forward as fast as her rickety legs could carry her and she took her turn. The same parading took place and she stood in front of the wall pressing buttons. The crowd waited and cheered when the wall opened. She hobbled into the room and turned to face the crowd giving a large smile and small wave. When the wall opened again a little girl stood in place of the old woman. The little boy raced forwards and the two danced in glee.

This took place several more times. Often older couples pushing forwards and if the old man came out a little boy then the old woman would take a turn. Sometimes nothing happened. This last time an old woman had entered the room and gave the same smile and wave but when the door opened there was no little child replacing the old woman. Instead there was the same old woman but she looked around confused and frightened. Daniel could feel the happiness seep from the room. The person next to him murmered, "alieno panton" and shook his head sadly. Daniel realized that instead of the 'great reward of rejuvination' the woman instead seemed to have had her memory erased.

The crowd, now much more subdued faced the front of the room. The man that had been asking who was next was now speaking. Daniel couldn't make out what he was saying but the others in the room nodded their heads sadly and began to file out of the building. As Daniel watched, the people in the room became less in focus. They started to blur together into a grey mass. It was making him feel a little dizzy so he closed his eyes to stem off the nausea. Behind his eyelids he could see that the room was becoming darker. When he could no longer sense the light he opened his eyes and could see nothing. He stood stock still, wondering what was going to happen next when the room started to lighten again. He was standing in the same location as everything came into focus. He was still in the same room but it seemed that there was less writing on the walls. There were also less people; though these were not the same people that were in the room with him before.

Daniel looked up to the front of the room and saw several figures dressed in hooded gowns. They were standing in a semi circle formation around a tattered looking man. It seemed as if this was some type of court proceeding. The tattered man kneeled and said "Ego deserdi asordo" which translated from Ancient to 'I desire help.' Then the man hung his head and said, "asordo cum clementia," which was Ancient for 'help with mercy.'

One of the cloaked figures lowered their hoods and said, "Tua puta egonavoIllac." Ancient for I believe you desire a new way; and she lead the unkempt man towards the side wall. Daniel watched as the woman entered a sequence in the buttons on the wall and the wall opened.

The man entered the small room and knelt down facing the wall. The door shut and all of the hooded figures murmured some chant that Daniel couldn't quite make out. When the door opened the man was replaced by a small boy huddled in large clothes. The cloaked figure in the center said in an authoritarian voice, "Enimun lupum purnum pravis intus." That phrase was Ancient for, 'Verily, the corrupted sinner will be cleansed from within.' Daniel watched as the boy's head lowered before the wall shut again. The murmuring continued. When the wall opened again there was the same little boy dressed in the tattered man's clothes. He was crying and looked lost. A couple that had been watching the proceedings ran to the boy. The woman scooped the boy up and comforted him.

The woman that had led the tattered man spoke with the couple. Daniel couldn't hear the words but it seemed to be a question. The man and woman looked at each other, nodded their heads seriously and looked back at the woman to reply. Together they said, "Nos mos satus iterum cum metempsukhousthai" which roughly translated to 'we will start again with rebirth.'

Daniel turned to read the writings on the wall. This was the same room as before but the walls no longer held any hieroglyphics. Instead all the instructions were in Ancient. The writings said something about capital punishment, judgment and 'metempsychosis'. The bold letters across the top said "Vis Urban." As Daniel read that he whipped around to view the rest of the room. Now he was the only one standing in it but that wasn't what he was thinking about; instead his thought revolved around those two words, 'Vis Urban.' The Planet designated PX3-466 was Vis Urban, the 'place of great power.' This is where the Ancients took their guilty to receive capital punishment. Instead of killing the wrong doers they changed them into children. He remembered hearing about this when he was an ascended being but didn't know how it worked. Apparently it was a two step process that changed the convict into a child then removed their memories so that they could go through a 'metempsychosis.' They could be 'reborn' and have another chance. He looked around the room and watched it slowly change into the room he was in previously. He watched as the hieroglyphs formed on the walls. Apparently the ancient people that found this place thought it was a gift for the chosen ones. If they could push the right buttons on the side they would get to be children again. If they got it wrong they could have their memories wiped.

He watched as the room transformed into ruins. This was the room he was changed in! He put his hands up over the buttons on the wall and heard behind him someone call his name. He turned quickly expecting to see Jack but no one was there. He closed his eyes tightly and again heard his name called. When he opened his eyes he was no longer in that long ago abandoned building. He was lying on the bed in the VIP room at the SGC staring into the eyes of man he never wanted to see again.

Teal'c was seated in the center of the room, surrounded by candles. He was performing Kel'no'reme, trying to center himself. They had been searching for an answer as to why Daniel was 'shrunk' (as O'Neill called it) and more importantly, how to change him back. It seemed there were no answers to be found; Teal'c hoped that if he were calm and centered that he could find something that they had missed.

He was in his usual position, doing the usual thing when he noticed that the room he was in suddenly became brighter. Even with his eyes closed he could tell that someone had entered the room and turned on the light. He slowly opened his eyes and everything had changed. Teal'c was no longer surrounded by candles; instead he was facing only one. The woman that entered the room said, "Oh, honey, I didn't know you were in here meditating. I can come back later."

Teal'c looks up to his wife and says, "Shauna, its fine. I needed to get going anyway. I wanted to head over to the hospital before I go in to the station house." And he begins to rise from his seated position.

Shauna smiled over at him and quietly asked, "How is Jack holding up?"

Teal'c gave her a rueful smile and said, "Jack is being Jack." And with that he gave his wife a kiss and left to get ready for work.

Teal'c watched Jack walk into the hospital room, and he stayed there for the moment enjoying the view. Six year old Danny jumped out of the bed shrieking, "DADDY!" and jumped into Jack's arms. Teal'c shook his head with a small sad smile on his face.

A voice shook Teal'c from his thoughts and he gazed up into the direction of it. "I thought that was you, how are you doing?" The voice asked.

Teal'c smiled and answered "Dr. Jackson, I am well," but his smile faltered for a moment as he heard giggles from the room he was previously watching.

Dr. Jackson followed the noise with his eyes and then looked back to Teal'c, "How is your nephew doing?"

Teal'c blinked back at him and said, "How did you…" he began, then said, "Never mind." He should have known better than to think a shrink wouldn't know the way he felt about that family. He loved Jack like a brother and undoubtedly it showed. So he began again, "to watch him there is nothing wrong. The doctors can't seem to figure it out."

Dr. Jackson reached out and put a hand on Teal'c shoulder and said, "Whether or not they figure this out, your task is clear. Let him go. When the time comes, you will understand. Other forces are in place and you will have the outcome that you are looking for, but for that to happen you must Let Him Go…"

Teal'c looked towards the room as Dr. Jackson spoke but his face drew in confusion as the sentence continued. 'Let him go.' What the hell did that mean? But as he turned back to face Dr. Jackson the Psychiatrist was gone. Teal'c looked down the hall but it was empty. He turned quickly back towards the hospital room door and closed his eyes tightly trying to figure out what was going on. When he reopened his eyes he was seated on the floor in his room at the SGC surrounded by candles. He sat for a moment to figure out what to do, then rose to find MajorCarter.

Samantha opened her eyes and noticed that when she had laid her head down on her desk, she had fallen asleep. She recognized that feeling of non connectedness as she slowly blinked her eyes while looking at the crook of her arm. She drew a deep breath before lifting her head to her task again wondering how long she had slept. As she lifted her head two things become startlingly clear. One, her back and neck didn't ache from the position she had been in and much more importantly, two, she was no longer in her lab back at the SGC.

She looked around the room in wonder; taking note of the long table she was seated at. Her eyes bounced up at the walls and she realized she was on a ship. She looked around the room. If she wasn't mistaken she was onboard the Prometheus. Just as this realization took hold she heard a child's laughter. Her head whipped in the direction of the giggle.

'This had to be a dream' she thought as she began to walk towards the sound. There was no way she was on the Prometheus again. 'No, this is just a dream' she repeated to herself almost in mantra form. 'Let it play out and you will wake up in your lab,' she continued her self talk as she wandered the halls of the seemingly deserted ship.

As she rounded a corner she saw a little girl with curly hair and Sam whispered out loud, "Grace."

The little girl stopped her skipping and looked back. When her eyes meet up with Sam's she broke out in a broad grin and giggled again. "Follow me…" she said in sing song as she continued skipping towards the direction she had been in.

Sam stood still, too astonished to move. Oh, God, this had to be a dream! She couldn't be back on the ship! No, she had too much work to do! "Wait… Grace, wait…" she said with alarm as the little girl skipped right out of her line of view.

She was talking out loud as she followed the direction the little girl was heading in. "Ok, just a dream. I have to figure out what all of this means. There's the ship, could this be abstract, about being alone again. What is different, everything looks the same…" She continued thinking aloud as she walked, trying to rationalize out a dream sequence, during a dream. A part of her mind almost giggled at her logic as she continued to walk and talk through her current predicament. Her eyes found what they had been seeking as she followed the bouncing curly hair attached to a smiling little girl.

She was so intent upon her thoughts and watching Grace that she failed to notice that as she was walking the walls were slowly changing. Grace was still several paces ahead as she turned to walk through a doorway. When Sam reached the door she stopped cold. She was in the doorway to her lab at the SGC. "What are we doing here, what are YOU doing here?" She stuttered out.

Again in the same sing song voice Grace said, "Follow me…"

Sam drew closer but felt a surge of panic that was unnatural to her. What was going on? "None of this makes any sense! Why am I following you? I have so much work to do, so many things I need to figure out!" Sam said angrily but felt her anger drift as Grace smiled at her over her shoulder.

Grace turned to face the computer screen again. Sam was now close enough to read over her shoulder; it was an email inbox. "What are you talking about? You… you're not supposed to be here." Her mind was racing but not working as quickly as it normally did and really, this stuttering had to go.

Grace only giggled again and said as she turned away from the screen and stepped back. "Oh, Mommy, you're so silly. You already have the answers you need."

Sam's eyes widened as she tried to take in what Grace said. "Wha… what did you say?" again Sam stuttered out.

"I said you already have the answers you need." As Grace spoke this her hand went to rest on the shoulder of the sleeping form in front of the computer. The hand movement caught Sam's eyes and she followed it to the slumbering individual. Right before Grace's hand touched the person, Sam realized who the entity was in front of the computer, it was Sam herself.

As the hand contacted the shoulder Sam's head jerked up from the cradled in her arms position it had been in. Her eyes shot over to see who had touched her when she heard Teal'c say, "MajorCarter, I did not wish to startle you." Her eyes shifted to view the room but there was only Teal'c there.

Sam's eyes softened as she said, "No, it's alright, Teal'c. I was just…" she paused as she tried to remember everything she had just seen. "It was just a dream." Her eyes took a far off look as she thought about the last words she heard. It was something important that was said, something important that Grace said. A small smile formed on her face as she again viewed the child from her 'dream.'

"MajorCarter, are you feeling well?" Teal'c intoned seriously.

"What? Oh, I'm fine. It's just that I had this dream. But it wasn't a dream. It was more of a message." Sam finished lamely. She felt almost silly saying that out loud.

Teal'c's response was not what she expected, "I did as well."

She looked up sharply and said, "Tell me." Teal'c pulled up a chair and sat in front of her in preparation of telling his tale. "I was performing Kel'no'reme..." Teal'c started and began to explain the vision he had before coming in to wake her up.


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: I wanted to thank Alexis- Bella-Abigail for the encouragement and constant questioning of my work. Without her this chapter may not have made as much sense :)_

**Chapter 11**

Sam listened to Teal'c's dream with rapt interest. She remembered the tale from when Teal'c and Bra'tac were injured and sharing a symbiote. They later realized that it was probably the ascended Daniel that helped him through the whole ordeal. This story was so similar. The people were the same down to his 'wife' Shauna only now it added a little boy named "Danny." No, wait, not just any little boy, this was Jack's son, Danny and something was wrong with the little guy.

"So, the doctors there didn't know what was wrong with Daniel either?" Sam asked, unconsciously replacing the nickname.

"Indeed they did not." Teal'c answered succinctly.

Sam nodded and waited a moment before she said, "And it was our Daniel that was the Dr. Jackson?"

Teal'c didn't pause with his short answer, "Yes."

Sam was ready now to ask the question that was haunting her, "What do you think he meant with, 'Let him go'?" She didn't want to voice what she was thinking. She never wanted to lose her so- uh, friend again. She shook her head at the slip and went back to thinking on how they lost Daniel to being ascended the first time.

"I do not know what he meant by that. I have no intention upon 'letting him go'. We will not lose him again. Undomesticated equestrians could not take him away" Teal'c intoned seriously.

Sam could have smiled at that. Well, at least she wasn't alone in her thinking.

"I agree with you completely." She said just as seriously. They looked at each other for a moment before Sam began, "In my dream I was back on the Prometheus…" She continued her tale explaining the trailing behind Grace and following her into the lab. She paused trying to remember what exactly it was that Grace said. It was something important, she just knew it. There was something there that she needed to remember…

"What did she say then?" Teal'c asked as the pause became longer.

Sam looked up and grinned sheepishly before growing serious and saying "She said that I already had the answers I needed." Sam turned and looked at her computer. Her mind started racing. "Wait…" Her mind whirled around with the words that were spoken. "He told you that other forces were in place and to get the result we needed that we had to let him go. What if…" Her mind was still processing everything and she was talking fast. "What if I have those answers? Grace was looking at an email. Now I didn't see the email but…"

"If you are part of the solution then us both having these 'dreams' is not a coincidence." Teal'c answered as he began to question his own resolve to do the right thing.

"You're right. I really think we are on to something here. Besides, I don't believe in coincidences." Sam said with a smile as she powered up her computer.

While they waited they heard a child scream. They both jumped up but Teal'c lightly grabbed Sam's arm and said, "No, you find out about that email, I will find DanielJackson and O'Neill."

Sam didn't want to stay behind but felt it was really important to figure this mystery out so she nodded her head and sat back down. Teal'c quickly left the room.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Jack paced his office again but somehow it wasn't helping. He was used to doing things not chit chatting about them. And really, discussing emotions was not his thing. He felt he needed to talk with Daniel about what had happened but he wasn't ready to discuss his 'feelings' about it. He actually wondered if he ignored it if it would go away on its own. Maybe he should go and discuss this with Carter. She would know what to do… Uh, that would be a no. He had even less desire to explain what happened with Daniel to Sam. He sat down and put his head in his hands but bolted to his feet as he heard a child scream.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Daniel looked up into the eyes of a man he never wanted to see again. Dr. MacKenzie was hovering over his bed. "There you are, you're coming with me and no one is going to stop this now." The psychiatrist said as he grabbed Daniel's arm and yanked him out of bed.

Daniel struggled to get free; sadly his dream of being back in his own body didn't come true. Instead he tried to use his intellect to get him free, "You can't do this! Jack won't let you take me!" He shouted.

Dr. MacKenzie laughed meanly and said, "There is nothing your precious Jack can do to stop me." And he dragged Daniel out of the room.

Daniel kicked and yelled, "Stop it, let me go!" all while flailing his arms as wildly as he could. He wished he could bite the vengeful man but the way he was gripped prevented him from even trying. He was starting to get really scared and he didn't know what he could do. He needed Jack, NOW! He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes and falling down his face. He grabbed at Dr. MacKenzie's hand but could do nothing to pry it off him. He began to panic. What if no one knew where he was taken to? What if the NID got a hold of him? There was no way he could protect himself now! He took a deep breath and as loudly as he could he screamed, "JAAAAACK!"

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Both Jack and Teal'c met up with Daniel and MacKenzie, though they were on opposite sides of the hallway from each other. Jack was shouting before he even got within touching distance, "Get your hands off him!"

With one angry Jaffa on one side of the hall and one pissed off Colonel on the other Dr. MacKenzie decided it just might be best to let go of the boy. Besides there was no way these two could win. He had the Vice President on his side! He had the paperwork to prove that Daniel was going to be as far away from Jack and the protection of the SGC as he could manage. The doctor smiled menacingly and said, "Fine but he WILL be coming with me…"

"Over my dead body, MacKenzie!" Jack said with a deceptive calm. Teal'c said nothing but stalked closer to the two other men.

Dr. MacKenzie was ready to retort when General Hammond called out, "Colonel O'Neill, stand down. We will discuss this in the debriefing room." Both Dr. MacKenzie and Jack let out a breath, only for different reasons.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Sam's computer powered up and she immediately when to her email inbox. She scanned the list of senders. There was a bit of email piled up, she hadn't checked it since before any of this happened. One name caught her attention; it was from the hospital that Jack's son was born in. Sam's hand shook as she moved the mouse to click on the email. She knew she needed to be searching for the answer that Grace spoke of but she just had to know… She would just give it a quick look and then search more…

"Major Carter," The email started out. "We do not ordinarily give out the information on closed adoptions even when the child is an adult. We did, however, review your request and found that this was not a closed adoption but instead the baby boy was released to his maternal uncle, Nicholas Ballard. I am sorry that this is all the information we have regarding this case..."

Sam's eyes leapt back up to the name of the maternal uncle. Holy Hannah! This just couldn't be true. No. The dates are all wrong. Jack's son could not possibly be Daniel! See, there must have been a cousin out there that Daniel never spoke of. There was a four year difference in the dates! But… it was the same month and day…

Sam quickly printed the email off and ran towards the infirmary, praying to any god that was listening that Dr. Frazier was there and more importantly that this was NOT a coincidence! Please, please, please… She said over and over in her head as she raced along the corridors.

Sam turned into the infirmary with such speed that she nearly knocked Janet over. She grabbed her friend to steady her and gave herself one moment to take a deep breath before explaining. "Janet, I need you to do me a huge favor. This needs to be done quickly."

Janet gave Sam an inquisitive look before saying, "Go on."

Sam took another breath before saying, "I need you to run a DNA test with Daniel…" She paused, knowing she would have to break the Colonel's confidence if she finished this statement. There was no turning back now, she reminded herself. "…and Jack."

With that Dr. Frazier's questioning eyes went to disbelief and she began to shake her head, "Sam, that isn't going to work. This 'downsizing' that has taken place did not alter his DNA." Janet began to wonder if her friend was trying to have her help make up test results. As tempting as that was to do, it would be crossing a line that she refused to cross.

"Janet, please listen to me. Charlie wasn't Jack's only son. He told me something I should never have looked into and REALLY should never repeat but in 1969 his girlfriend gave birth to his son, right before she died. I just got an email saying that the baby was taken home by his uncle, Nicholas Ballard." She showed the paper to Janet and took another breath before she began to ramble on, "I know it sounds crazy and it would have to be his great uncle for this to be true…"

Janet's own thoughts began to whirl as she read over the emails. July 8th, 1969…

"And I know that Daniel was actually born in 1965…" Sam continued.

Janet interrupted her, "Stop. Let me get this all straight. Jack has a son that is related to Nicholas Ballard, possibly the same Nicholas Ballard that we know as Daniel's grandfather and the birth date is July 8th 1969?"

Sam slumped as she heard the words. It sounded crazier out loud than it did in her own mind, and frankly that was pretty crazy to begin with. "I know, I know… It's just to see them together, heck, even more so now and with the names and dates… Oh Janet, I guess I wanted it to be true." Sam said and could feel her eyes fill with tears. "Maybe if it were the same year…" Sam continued.

Janet cut her off, "Sam, wait. There is something in his chart. I thought it was made in error. I noticed it years ago but never really paid attention." As she was speaking she walked over to her office and began to pull out Daniel's thick file. "I mean, really, why would there be two dates?" Janet asked, mostly to herself. She flipped through the chart with practiced ease and stopped near the beginning of the file. The date of birth was listed as 7/8/69 and was clearly in Daniel's own hand. "Really, I didn't give it a second thought; I just kinda filed it away… Sam, could it be true?" She paused as her thoughts raced ahead of her. "We need to find out for sure. If we are wrong no one will be the wiser!" She smiled to herself as she began the process of determining DNA. This wasn't a standard procedure so there would be no reason for them to matched. Her mind continued to race forward as she worked.

Sam sat down tiredly in a chair still repeating the same quiet mantra, "please, please, please…"

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Jack had picked Daniel up and followed briskly behind General Hammond. He felt sure his commander would be able to sort this all out. Teal'c raised an eyebrow at MacKenzie and beckoned him to follow allowing Teal'c to take the rear and watch the doctor. As Teal'c walked his mind went back to the 'dream'. He watched and listened to it all again. Little Danny jumping into his daddy's arms, the doctors not knowing what was wrong with him but the talk with 'Dr. Jackson', now that was what really had his mind going. He said forces were in place. He and MajorCarter believed she was part of that force. He had to let Daniel go. He tried to wrap his mind around that thought. It went against everything he believed in. Daniel was his friend and Jack was like a brother. How could he do this to them? But to get the desired outcome, that was exactly what he had to do…

The four men sat down at the debriefing table. Jack placed Daniel in his own chair but hovered near it protectively. Daniel sat still, leaning towards Jack and had a death grip on his shirt as if it were the only thing keeping him in the room.

"Gentlemen," General Hammond began, "I need an explanation."

Jack was about to start when MacKenzie shoved papers in front of the General. "I believe this will explain all that needs to be said." MacKenzie stated with a predatory smile.

"If you think that a pile of papers gives you any right to touch my- Daniel, then you are sadly mistaken." Jack said heatedly.

Dr. MacKenzie smirked and said, "and that is exactly the reason that I was given this assignment. 'Your Daniel' you say? No, that is not a healthy relationship. He needs to be placed in a stable environment without your obsessive interference. Considering that he has no living relatives he will be placed with a family that has the level of clearance needed to raise a child with his history."

Jack didn't fall for the bait of his relationship with Daniel; instead he jumped right in with the hard questions. "What kind of family would be appropriate for a child that was once a grown man? How exactly do you find family like that? Where, EXACTLY, do you think you are taking him to?" Jack's voice became lower and deceptively calmer as he spoke. There was NO WAY in HELL that this quack was taking his boy anywhere!

"There is a nice family in New Mexico that is perfect for this assignment. They have been fostering children for years but still have high clearance…" Dr. MacKenzie was explaining when the words registered with Jack.

His eyes shot up to the doctor and Jack yelled, "New Mexico? Do you mean Roswell, as in Area 51?"

MacKenzie blinked and silently cursed himself for giving so much away. He huffed and said, "Well, as a matter of fact they do reside in Roswell…"

"You can't be serious. There is no way you are taking Daniel to Area 51!" Jack said and then looked at General Hammond, "Sir, this has the NID written all over it. The president will not stand for this. We can NOT let this happen!" Jack's tone was bordering on insubordination but right now he didn't care.

General Hammond looked from Jack back to the papers in front of him. He had no desire to allow Daniel to be removed and even less inclination to allow him to be taken to Area 51. As he flipped through the papers he did not see any way out of this.

"As you can see this has all been signed off by the Vice President himself. I have been given authorization to remove him immediately and these men," MacKenzie gestured to the MP's that had quietly entered the room while the others were speaking, "will be helping me with this matter."

Jack stood up and maneuvered himself in front of Daniel. "No. You are not taking him." Jack was startled by the force of the hand around his arm.

He looked down and saw Teal'c's large hand holding him and pulling him away from Daniel. "O'Neill," Teal'c began, "you must allow this."

Jack was still shocked at the behavior from his friend. His mind couldn't comprehend how Teal'c, of all people, could allow Daniel to be taken. He was so stunned that he lost his focus on the MP's coming towards him. The two guards grabbed Daniel and began to walk away with him.

Jack was shaken out of his own thoughts by the loud screech, "Jaaack, please! I'm sorrrrrrry. I didn't mean it! Don't let them take me. I'll be good. I swear! I'll be good. Please Jack, please, it will never happen again. I'm sorry, please, Jack! Don't let them take me." Daniel's screams were becoming more hysterical and harder to understand but the underlying sentiment was still there. He was begging Jack to save him. Jack turned to help him but the hands on his arms prevented his movement.

"T let me go. I have to get him." Jack shouted.

"O'Neill, you do not understand," Teal'c began and even though it killed him to hear Daniel's cries he persisted, "we must let him go."

Jack shot a look over to Teal'c that could have harmed a lesser man, "I mean it Teal'c, let me go." Jack said as he struggled with the seasoned warrior.

"Colonel O'Neill, stand down. We have our orders. Now I don't like this either but we have to fight this the right way." Jack stopped struggling for a second as his commander spoke but started again with renewed strength. He couldn't let Daniel go, he WOULDN'T let Daniel go! "No… Daniel! Damn it, T let me go!" Jack shouted but try as he might he couldn't break free from the hold.

Daniel's heartbreaking words were still being cried out, he was beyond hysterical now, struggling frantically begging Jack to help him. Over all the noise in the room a ringing phone could be heard.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Sam and Janet stood with baited breath waiting for the computer to spit out the results. There was no denying the outcome. With wide eyes Janet picked up the phone to call General Hammond. Walter answered for the General. Even over the line Janet and Sam could hear the pitiful sobs from Daniel. Walter only said, "Its Dr. MacKenzie…" before Janet dropped the phone. The two women barely paused to look at the other before they both broke out in a run towards the debriefing room.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

The MP's took the screaming Daniel out of the room leaving a smiling Dr. MacKenzie in their wake. They waited for the doctor by the elevators. MacKenzie was so pleased with himself he could have skipped out of there. "You are making a mistake MacKenzie! You won't get away with this! I WILL get him back; and when I do I will Ki…" Jack was shouting until that last threat was interrupted by General Hammond

"Colonel O'Neill, that is enough. Don't make this any worse, Son." Hammond shouted. Jack paused a moment to hear out his commander. Years of military training not allowing him any less.

Dr. MacKenzie took this opportunity to leave, practically humming with excitement. This would be his crown jewel. He was bringing in THE Dr. Daniel Jackson! The NID would be tripping over themselves to pat him on the back! Even the Vice President himself had already called to congratulate him on such an impressive feat! He walked over to the elevators just as the doors opened and he grabbed Daniels arm and dragged him onto the lift.

Everything was quiet for a moment then you heard the clicking of heels running down the corridor. Jack turned his head to face Teal'c. Teal'c was still holding his arm, instinctively knowing if he let go that Jack would run; ruining his career and possibly doing major damage to the man that took Daniel. His eyes were a strange mixture of sadness and anger as Jack asked, "Why, damn it?" Teal'c was about to respond as Sam burst through the door.

The world seemed to stop for Jack as Sam stepped aside to allow Janet space to enter. Sam's eyes met Jack's and he could see that she was pleading with him but he didn't understand. He then watched as Janet walked up to General Hammond holding out a sheet of paper. She handed it to him as she was saying, "Sir, you need to see this now…" General Hammond examined her for a moment before taking the paper. Nothing was said as the General scanned the sheet.

General Hammond set the paper down and looked up at Dr. Frazier and asked, "Is this true?"

At that moment Janet gave a warm smile and said, "Yes Sir, every word of it."

General Hammond stared at her, "This changes everything." He paused for a moment longer before coming to his decision. He looked up at Jack and simply said, "Go get our boy."

Jack didn't waste a second questioning that order. He didn't care what the reason was; he shook off Teal'c's now loosened hold and ran out of the room to the elevators. He did consider running the entire way but he would never beat them to the front gate this many levels down. He jammed the button for the lift again; as if somehow that would speed its descent. Teal'c calmly walked up behind him and stood silently. Jack glared at him for a moment, challenging him to see if Teal'c would try to stop him.

Teal'c looked back impassively and said, "I am only here in case you require assistance." With those words Jack nodded, not ready to let go of his anger completely but glad to have the help.

General Hammond reached for a phone and made the call for the guards at the gate to stop Dr. MacKenzie from leaving. He picked up the paper again and looked at the two women and asked, "How?" Sam stepped forward and said, "I think this is a conversation that the Colonel should be here for," and she sat down in a chair at the table. Janet followed suite and the group waited the return of Jack, Teal'c and Daniel.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

The elevator finally arrived and the duo began their slow climb to the top of the mountain. Teal'c stood to the side as Jack paced the elevator trying to calm his frazzled nerves. It would do him absolutely no good to kill MacKenzie right now. He, for some reason, was being 'allowed' to get Daniel and he didn't want to tempt fate by committing a murder. He gave a humorless chuckle thinking about all the ways he could kill that… that… ugh, there just wasn't a word strong enough to describe him. He gripped his hands into fists, thinking this way wasn't helping! He focused his mind on seeing Daniel. Even as hard as it was to picture his best friend as a little boy; it was even harder to see him as a hysterical little boy begging for forgiveness. As if there was anything that would cause Jack to want Daniel to be taken away! He faced the wall and slammed the side of his fist in to it. Waiting has never been so hard. Just as he thought that thought the elevator dinged. Jack raced to the front and waited the eternity it seemed to take for the doors to actually open.

Even before the elevator came to a complete stop he could hear Dr. MacKenzie shouting. Apparently the man was not pleased to be held there. Jack sent a silent prayer up thanking General Hammond for the foresight to stall the doctor until Jack could get there to rescue Daniel.

Jack burst through the elevator doors and yelling, "Daniel…"

Upon hearing his name called by the only voice he wanted to hear, Daniel turned and shook out of Dr. MacKenzie's hold and made a mad dash towards Jack. Jack dropped to one knee, ignoring its protest and opened his arms just as Daniel raced into him. The kid was a mess of tears and snot but to Jack, he had never looked better. Jack hugged onto him as if his life depended upon it.

Daniel was still trying to catch his breath from the hysterical crying he had been doing as he sobbed out, "I knew … you would… save me. You always… save me…"

Jack only hugged him tighter and said, "I'll never let them take you away again!"

Dr. MacKenzie strode towards Jack, fully intending to retrieve Daniel, saying, "We have the official paperwork, you can't have him back." His spiteful way began to show as he said, "You'll never see him again!"

Teal'c stepped in his path and raised his arm saying, "I do not believe it would be wise to proceed. There is further information you need to discuss with General Hammond. You should follow us back to the debriefing room."

The doctor would not be deterred, "We have discussed all that we are going to discuss!" He turned back to the MP's he brought with him and ordered, "Don't just stand there! Get him!"

At that moment several armed guards that had been watching this altercation raised their weapons at the MP's. One spoke up saying, "Sir, we have our orders and you are to return with Colonel O'Neill."

For a change Jack decided not to say anything to the doctor as he lifted Daniel up and carried him to the lift.

The ride down to the lower levels was silent except for the occasional deep shaky breath taken by Daniel. The tears had stopped but the boy was obviously still upset. Jack ran his hand soothingly up and down Daniel's back in an effort to calm him. Now that he had Daniel back in his arms Jack began to wonder what was on that paper that would make the General order him to get Daniel back. His mind sorted through possibilities. Could the president have intervened, or Thor? No, that wouldn't be it; surely they would go through General Hammond and not Dr. Frazier. Dr. Frazier, oh God, what if Daniel is sick, or dying? That would be plenty of reason to get him back here. Jack hugged Daniel so tightly Daniel began to squirm forcing Jack to release his hold slightly. Jack squeezed his eyes together in an effort to block the extreme thoughts that were plaguing him. It didn't matter. He would take every moment he had to spend with Danny. He refused to borrow trouble by worrying about things he had no idea of.

The elevator finally reached its destination and they filed out walking the short distance to the debriefing room. General Hammond stood as the group entered, "Gentleman, if you will take a seat. I have some information that changes the circumstances of this situation."

Everyone sat with the exception of Dr. MacKenzie who stopped and pointed a finger at the General saying, "Look, I don't know what hocus pocus that you all have conjured up but the Vice President is not going to stand for this. You have your orders!"

General Hammond didn't raise his voice, instead stated, "That may be so but the President has given us the go ahead on this. If you will examine these papers you will see that Daniel does have another living relative."

Dr. MacKenzie stuttered out, "Th-that is preposterous! The only other possible relative he has is Nicholas Ballard and we both know that he has been "missing" for years!" He actually made the finger movements to mimic the quote around 'missing'.

General Hammond was still standing and holding the paper out to the doctor. "If you will look at this you will see that Nicholas Ballard is not his last living relative." The General waited patiently and Dr. MacKenzie grudgingly took the paper staring at him for a moment before glancing down to review the words.

Jack watched the conversation as if it were a tennis game; his head bouncing between the two speakers. None of this was making sense; another living relative? Daniel had another living relative and he let him go to foster care? Jack's blood began to boil again and his mind quickly let go of all the possible medical problems that could be damaging Daniel. How could anyone NOT love this child? He was the most loving and selfless person Jack had ever met! Any man would be proud to claim him as his son! If he had the chance…

Jack's thoughts were interrupted but a loud humorless laugh and a shout of, "That is the most ridiculous piece of fiction I have ever read! Do you really think you can get away with this doctor?" Both the laugh and the question came from Dr. MacKenzie with the question being aimed at Janet.

Janet spoke with command when she said, "There are many things I will do for the people under my care but I will not cross the line of making up results. You can have any expert you desire to challenge this but I stand behind my work. I will stake my career on this!"

Dr. MacKenzie gave an evil glare and said, "That is exactly what you are doing; staking your career on this fabrication!"

Jack's eyes went from doctor to doctor still not understanding what was going on. He was ready to jump up and grab the paper himself when he caught Sam's eyes. She was still sending him a pleading look that his brain just couldn't wrap itself around. What was she trying to convey?

Dr. MacKenzie set his sights on Jack and shouted, "I bet you were the one to come up with this, right? Come on, how naive do you really think I am?"

Jack looked over to the doctor and said, "I have no idea what you are talking about! Who the hell is this last living relative?"

Dr. MacKenzie actually snorted at this, "Right! You are going to sit there and tell me you had 'no idea' that *YOU* are Daniel's father?"

The wind was knocked right out of Jack as Sam's pleading eyes were finally making sense. He looked back to Sam and whispered, "What did you do?"

Tears sprung to Sam's eyes as she quietly said, "Sir, I had to know and when the results pointed this way…" she tried to explain.

Jack just looked at her and said, "No."

Daniel's body had grown lax in his arms and Jack realized the boy had cried himself to sleep. He stood, hefting the dead weight with him. "You all can sit here and debate this issue but I am going to take him back to the VIP room," Jack said then turned to look at the General and asked, "Sir?" He didn't bother to explain the one worded question.

General Hammond nodded his head and said, "Dismissed, Colonel."

Jack strode out of the room carrying Daniel and left the bickering behind him. He heard General Hammond say, "I have already spoken to the President and he will await confirmation to make a final decision but Dr. Jackson will remain here until that time. I advise you, Dr MacKenzie, to speak with your superiors and decide your next course of action. There is nothing else that will happen here tonight."

With that he stood and said, "Dismissed." He turned and left the room.

Janet, Sam and Teal'c rose and began to leave the room when Dr. MacKenzie said, "You won't get away with this, you know!" He shook his head and mumbled to himself, "I should have known they would do anything to keep the boy. I just never thought that they would stoop this low."

The trio didn't reply content to simply walk out of the room.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Jack laid Daniel on the bed in the VIP room and sat down next to him. This had been a thoroughly exhausting day. He couldn't believe the nerve of Sam bringing up his first son in this fabrication! How could she do that? Even as he asked the question he knew he really didn't care what the answer was. He didn't care what lie Janet and Sam dreamed up so long as it kept Daniel safe. He lay down on the bed facing the sleeping Daniel and brushed the hair out of his face. Yes, he didn't care if the world knew about that innocent baby that he never got to meet if it meant that the NID never got their claws into his boy. He squeezed his eyes shut. No wonder MacKenzie thought he was the one to come up with this fantasy! Oh how he wished it were true; that Daniel really was his own flesh and blood! A small smile crept on his face. That would be the best gift he could ever receive. Not only would it keep Daniel safe; but it would justify the feelings he harbored for the brash young archeologist almost from the time they first met! He didn't like to admit it, even to himself but he loved that boy like a son. If he was honest with himself he treated him like one too, even before his downsizing. But if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. No sense in dreaming the impossible he told himself, though his heart still wanted to believe… He closed his eyes tightly.

Jack opened his eyes and looked out of the window into the gate room. Somehow it felt natural to be standing there. He didn't think of how he got there or why; he just looked at the majestic ring. "Jack," he heard in greeting and he turned to face the speaker.

"Daniel…" Jack said to his adult size best friend.

The pause lingered until Daniel said, "It's true, you know…"

Jack replied, "What, no hey, hello, how are you?"

Daniel closed his eyes and smiled at the familiar banter. He opened his eyes and said, "Hello Jack, how are you?"

Jack didn't smile he, instead he replied, "Funny you should ask. I haven't had such a good day. Actually I have been trying to protect… mini you."

Daniel's smile grew wider at the description and quietly said, "I know." The silence permeated the room till again Daniel broke it with, "It is true though."

Jack stared at Daniel and then asked, "What exact truth would that be, Daniel? That you are a grown man in front of me? 'Cause I gotta tell ya, that's a lot more believable then the farce that Sam and Janet are trying to pull! You aren't really here; your six year old self is sleeping in the VIP room! You are just a figment of my imagination acting as a genie trying to grant me my greatest wish." Jack turned again to face the gate as he spoke, "Don't toy with me Daniel, my day has been hard enough."

"Listen, I know it is hard to accept but the fact is that you are my father. Circumstances separated us but fate stepped in to correct that. Come on, you can't tell me you didn't feel it. How can you deny what your heart knows is true?" Daniel said as he walked closer to Jack.

Jack turned back to face him and said, "How can you say that, Daniel Jackson? How can you stand there calling me Jack with one breath and then tell me I'm your father with your next?"

Daniel was quick to reply before Jack got too far into his dialog, "Hey, you're the one that said you didn't care what last name I chose to go by. You are the one that said, 'Jackson is exactly who you are, Jack's son'. And as for the Jack verses Dad, well, those names have been interchangeable to me for a long time when it comes to you. We still work together; it might get a little awkward for me to be calling you 'Dad' when we are offworld. Same thing goes with Sa- uh, never mind. I really didn't want to go there. Forget I said anything."

"Nice try Dannyboy. Good attempt at redirection but you know what, I don't really care. There is no way you are going to convince me that *you* are the baby I gave up! You are four years older than he is!" Jack all but shouted at Daniel.

Smiling sheepishly, Daniel replied, "Uh, yeah. About that… wait! That is how I can prove to you who I am. When you wake up, I want you to ask, uh, mini me, to tell you his birthday. Tell him you want the truth and there will be no consequences." He smiled and then said, "Didn't you ever notice that your baby and I were both born on July 8th?"

Jack's head shot up and he glared at Daniel, "Of course I noticed! What kind of father do you think I am?"

He paused but before he could continue Daniel whispered, "The best… and Dad, it wasn't your fault, you didn't know. I never blamed you for not being there the first time around." As Daniel spoke he grew quieter and became less in focus, even the room began to darken. "I was just grateful that you were there when it REALLY mattered…" Then he was gone and the room was cloaked in darkness.

Jack reached his hands up to scrub at his face. When he opened his eyes again he was laying down on the bed in the VIP room with a small Daniel plastered to his side.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Janet, Sam and Teal'c all found themselves in the cafeteria. None of them were hungry but they did have things they needed to discuss. Teal'c was the first to break the silence, "MajorCarter, did you find the email you were searching for?"

Those words were all Sam needed to begin her tale, "Oh Teal'c it was amazing… There is something though, I mean, I never should have looked into it and I really shouldn't be talking about it but I guess the cat is out of the bag now." Sam looked over at Janet for a moment.

Teal'c looked at both women and then asked, "What does a feline trapped in a container have to do with electronic mail?"

Sam smiled, holding back the laughter that threatened to come forth. This was not the time for joking, she did something and she needed to explain that to her friends. She wondered how much she should tell them… "It's just an expression Teal'c." She waved her hand dismissing it. "Look, I need to tell you both something told to me in confidence." She blushed as she began to tell the story, "Jack told me that Charlie wasn't his only son. He didn't give me many details, but I just couldn't let it go. I had to know who he was. I thought maybe one day… Well it doesn't matter; the thing is I searched for him but hit dead ends. The email was my last hope but I forgot all about it when this… thing, happened to Daniel." She brushed her hair away from her face, just to give her hands something to do. This was so hard. It was a conversation she never planned to have. "So, after the dream I checked the email…"

Janet interrupted her asking, "Dream? What dream?"

Both Teal'c and Sam looked at her, "Uh, longer story… I will tell you about it later." Sam said thinking maybe it was a good thing, she really needed to discuss that dream with Janet, now was really not the time.

"Anyway," Sam continued, "The email said Jack's son was related to Nicholas Ballard. It got me to thinking, maybe… just maybe that Daniel and Jack were father and son. So I went to Janet and she ran the test. The DNA is conclusive, Jack IS Daniel's father. The problem is I don't know how to convince Jack of that."

Janet patted Sam's leg and said, "Give him time, this is a lot to process. He went from hiding his first son to finding out that baby is actually Daniel."

Sam nodded and said, "You're right. The real hard part is if he will ever forgive me."

Sam hung her head. Teal'c was the one to reassure her, "I do not believe that is something you need to worry about. O'Neill has always been a father to DanielJackson. Now he has more than his actions to prove it."

Janet added, "Besides, this was the best timing! Nothing else would have protected Daniel from MacKenzie." Sam shivered with that realization. Odd timing all around; really makes you believe it fate.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Jack lay on the bed until he felt Daniel begin to stir. "Hey buddy, how are you feeling?" Jack asked as he placed the back of his hand to Daniel's head; checking his temperature. The boy still looked terrible; his eyes were swollen and he was too pale.

Daniel shrugged Jack's hand off and he snuggled his head into Jack's chest. "It wasn't a dream. You did save me." Daniel muffled out through Jack's shirt. His relief was obvious, though Daniel didn't let go of the death grip he had on Jack's shirt.

"Yep, it's me. And remember what I told you? I am never going to let them take you away from me again." Jack said with conviction.

In a small voice Daniel asked, "Promise?"

Jack pulled Daniel away from him a little so he could look into his face as he answered, "Promise." Jack lifted Daniel's chin so that he could see him better and said, "I need you to answer something for me. I want the truth." He paused and then remembered to add, "There will be no consequences for the answer, but it has to be the truth, understand?

Daniel nodded his head yes and looked Jack in the eye.

"Daniel, what is your birthdate?" Daniel immediately looked away, shame coloring his face. Jack's own eyes scrunched in confusion, Daniel was embarrassed? Why would that question make him blush? "Daniel?" He asked.

"Promise you won't get mad? 'Cause, I can explain…" Daniel said, still not looking at Jack.

Jack again lifted Daniel's chin so he could make eye contact before saying, "I promise I won't get mad." Daniel tried to look away again but Jack held his chin firmly. Daniel settled for looking down as he answered, "July 8, 1969."

Jack stared at him then stuttered, "Wh-what? Why? How?" He couldn't even think in complete sentences. It wasn't a dream he just had. Well, it hadn't felt like a dream but was it too much to even hope for?

"You said you wouldn't get mad." Daniel said fearfully.

Jack looked down and saw that tears were pooling in Daniel's eyes, threatening to spill over. His voice softened and he said, "I'm not mad, it's just… I just…" Well, that was eloquent. Now what was he going to say?

Just then a soft knock came from the door. Both Jack and Daniel's heads shot up towards the sound. Talk about being saved by the bell, err, knock. The door slowly opened to review a timid looking Sam. She entered the door when she saw they were awake. "Sir?" she asked quietly, but how to finish that statement? 'uh, I'm sorry I just told everyone your most guarded secret'? Or, maybe, 'hey, how about that?' Oh yeah, that would work, NOT! How was she ever going to make this right?

As Sam stood for those few moments, lost in her own ideas Jack had risen and stood in front of her. She was shaken from her thoughts when he quietly asked, "Is it really true?"

Sam met his eyes and she whispered, "Every word of it…"

Before she could even finish the sentence Jack closed the distance between them and hugged her, squeezing her tightly and whispering, "Thank you," in her ear. He let her out of the hug and grasped her hand. They looked at each other for a long moment before Jack walked them over to some chairs sitting by the bed.

Daniel watched them and almost grinned. If the situation weren't what it was he would have smiled because when they sat down they never released the others hand.

Jack was the first to speak; blurting out the first thing that came to him, he asked Daniel, "How long have you known you were adopted?"

Daniel blinked and said, "I'm not…" then paused. The dream… his father shouting… He pressed his lips together and said, "I never really '_knew'_ but I always suspected." He wrinkled his brow looking back up to Jack and asked "Why?"

Jack wasn't ready to answer, he needed to know more. "How much did you hear after we got off the elevator?" Jack knew Daniel had fallen asleep, but when was the question.

"I heard MacKenzie" Daniel said as he made a face at the name, "yelling, but I…" he paused and blushed again.

Sam reached over to him and softly asked, "What, Daniel? You can tell us anything." She petted his hair for a moment.

Daniel didn't look up as he said, "Even with the yelling, I felt safe. I listened to your heartbeat, Jack, and ignored the shouting. I was just so tired…" He stopped and looked back up, quickly asking, "What did I miss?" And that was so Daniel, curiosity getting the better of him.

Jack smiled though it faltered as he tried to think of a way to explain. Sam saw Jack's hesitancy and began, "Do you know a Nancy…"

Jack supplied the last name, "Williams. Nancy Williams."

Sam nodded to him and then looked back at Daniel.

Daniel eyed the pair for a moment. Where were they going with this? "Yes, she was my mother's cousin. I remember because my mom once let it slip that Nancy had died during childbirth. When I tried to ask more she shut down and refused to answer any further questions." Daniel got a faraway look in his eyes as he relived the memory. "I don't think she meant to tell me anything but we were studying ancient cultures and it came to a part where the mortality rate…" He paused again and his eyes cleared as he looked back to Jack and asked, "Why? What does Nancy have to do with this…?"

Jack looked away and he said, "I knew her… It's just, we were so young… Her parents said… And I was entering the military…" He paused his uncharacteristic broken sentences to look back at Daniel and say, "I didn't know. I didn't know she died, and when I found out, I figured you were in a good home. You deserved better. I didn't know they would die… Danny, I'm so sorry…"

And as uncharacteristic his stammering was, the tears welling up in his eyes was the part that really shook Daniel up. His mind couldn't even put all the words together. He said he 'didn't know she had died. Why would it matter? And what did Jack mean, 'he deserved better'? Why would that matter unless… no… it couldn't be true. I mean come on, how many nights did he wish for a family? He felt himself blush, how many nights did he silently wish that Jack really was his father? He looked back up at Jack, all traces of the blush gone and asked, "Who was she to you?"

Jack was back in stammering mode as he answered, "We were kids, Daniel. We didn't think… and then…" He paused and realized he hadn't answer the question so he said, "I loved her. She was my high school sweetheart. We were going to get married when she graduated high school. But… I did the early enlistment and she…" His eyes sought Daniel's, the soft light of the room making his watery eyes glisten, and then he looked away.

Sam intervened, "The real question is 'who was she to you, Daniel'." She paused as she looked to Jack for encouragement. Upon finding it she finished, "She was your mother."

Daniel watched her but that simple statement was racing around his mind. Nancy was his mother… Somehow he knew that. Every time he did something that made his father angry he shouted about it being wrong to have a child at a dig site, how Daniel shouldn't be their responsibility… and that last time how his mom had said that he was her cousin's baby… He had always known. But wait… How did Sam know? How did Jack know? None of this was in his records! He was sure of it. He was listed as the orphaned son of Claire and Melbourne Jackson; only living relative was his grandfather. His grandfather… Nick… the man that didn't want him. But what did Jack say? His eyes searched for Jack's and when they found them he remembered Jack saying he was sorry, but sorry for what? Daniel's eyes widened and he said, "You're my father." It wasn't a question. Only Jack would take on the blame of not being there for him as a child. Jack, the only man that has consistently been there for him, no matter the circumstance would be the one to feel guilt that he wasn't there when Daniel was eight. That is why Jack came back to get him. They had proof! They had proof that Daniel had a living relative! That was why Janet was in the room! The further he went in thought the closer the doubts started to creep in and he quietly asked, "You're sure, right. You did the testing, didn't you?"

He directed his question to Sam who smiled and said, "Yes. Janet did the DNA test herself." Sam smiled brighter as she tested out, "Daniel O'Neill"

Jack heard the words his 'dream' Daniel had told him spill out of his mouth, "I don't care what name you go by, Jackson says who you are, Jack's son!" And with that he pulled Daniel into a big hug, reaching over to encompass Sam in their embrace.

Daniel smiled and hugged the two of them with all his strength and thought, 'this changes everything… and nothing at all. He may not have known he was related to me by blood but he has always acted as my father. He was the first to take me in and was always there for me when I was sick or injured.' Daniel replayed memories of him and Jack and even giggled a little when he thought how angry he was that Jack had treated him like a child. He froze at the last word in that thought.

"What is it Danny?" Jack asked him as he backed out of the hug to face him.

"It's just…" and then Daniel motioned down towards his body before continuing, "this. You being my father doesn't fix this." He hung his head at the thought of him still being a six year old.

"Daniel, look at me." Jack instructed and when Daniel raised his head he said, "One thing at a time Bud, one thing at a time."

Sam continued with the line of thought and said, "There are higher powers at work here Daniel. How else can you explain you and Jack working together in the Stargate Program? How else can you explain the dreams?"

Both Jack and Daniel looked at Sam when she said the last part, but it was Jack that said, "How did you know about the dream? I just saw the grown up Daniel tell me this all was true."

'Ahhh' thought Sam, 'that is why he believed so readily; he had a dream too. Sam shook her head to clear it. Now was not the time to discuss dreams. She gave a little, "Both Teal'c and I had visions that lead us to the right answers here, but our next step should be to explain all this to General Hammond." She yawned as she completed the sentence.

Jack looked down at his watch to figure out the time. He couldn't tell which way was up right now so there was no telling what time it was. When he saw that it was 0200 he stopped Sam and said, "You're right. Our next step will be telling General Hammond everything but right now we all need to get a little sleep."

"But Jaaack! I'm not even tired!" Daniel whined. Jack gave him a stern look and with everything he had just been through; Daniel figured it would be wise not to fight him on it. He hung his head.

Sam took this as her cue to leave. She began to rise saying, "You are absolutely right. I don't think I have had a good night's sleep since this whole ordeal began." She realized as she rose that she was still holding Jack's hand. He began to stand with her and she felt herself leaning in towards him. She quickly let go of his hand and backed up, stuttering, "I-I think I should probably just stay in a VIP room here tonight too." She stumbled backwards and catching herself said, "I will see you two bright and early." With that she smiled and left the room.

Jack watched Sam's departure with a good-natured smile. He shook his head as he thought about all the regulations he would like to break at this moment. OK, maybe just one regulation… He looked back at Daniel who was still staring at the ground playing with a string on his shirt. Jack took a moment to be thankful that they had extra clothes in all sizes for possible refugees. He looked back up to Daniel's face and said, "Hey, why don't we compromise? How about you and I just lie down for a while and talk about all this?" Jack really was tired but the smile that lit Daniel's face made it all worthwhile.

Daniel scooted back on the bed, making room for Jack and they both laid there in silence for a moment facing each other. Daniel finally broke the silence by saying, "Tell me about her…" He didn't need to explain who the 'her' was.

Jack gave a small smile as he rolled over on to his back and closed her eyes. He could still see her face even though it had been more than thirty years. "She was beautiful," He began, "Blond hair and blue eyes." He rolled back to his side and looked at Daniel as if seeing him for the first time and said, "You're eyes, you have her eyes." Then mostly to himself he said, "I can't believe I never noticed it before…"

Again, silence ensued. Daniel began to play with a frayed piece of thread from the blanket and quietly asked, "Soooo, what do I call you now? I mean, you might not want to be called Dad because of Charlie and all but…" Daniel was beginning to ramble.

Jack sat up and looked down at Daniel and said, "Daniel, you are my son," and man did that sound weird out loud! He continued, "So you can call me anything you want. And as for Charlie, I think he would be pretty happy to have you for a big brother." At that moment Jack knew everything he said was true. He really would be ok with Daniel calling him Dad; he was actually looking forward to it, if he was honest with himself. He could have pinched himself to see if he was still dreaming. This is what he wanted… He paused and looked at Daniel. He was being far too quiet and a quiet Daniel was never a good thing. Jack nudged him and asked, "Hey, what is going on inside that head of yours?" Daniel only shrugged his shoulders.

"Nu uh, that isn't going to work now. Come on, talk to me." Jack encouraged.

Daniel's eyes raised quickly to meet Jack's then lowered again as he worried the thread on the blanket. It was quiet for a moment before Daniel said, "I was just thinking…"

Jack waited but nothing more was said. The pause lasted a minute longer before he asked, "about what?"

Daniel started to shrug his shoulders again when Jack cleared his throat. Daniel understood the message and said, "Well, I was just wondering… Howyoufeltaboutmebeingyourson." Although the first part of the sentence was long and drawn out the last part was jumbled together into one big word. Jack took his finger and raised Daniel's chin and said, "You wanna try that one again? I didn't quite catch it all."

Daniel tried to look back down but Jack's hand prevented it. He sighed and said, "I said I wondered how you felt about me being your son?" and with that he rolled over and had his back facing Jack. He couldn't stand to see Jack's disappointment.

Jack reached out to roll Daniel back over and said, "Nothing could make me happier."

Daniel positively glowed at that statement and asked, "Really?"

Jack nodded, "Really."

Then Daniel yawned.

This had been a long day and even Jack could feel his own eyes beginning to droop again. He pulled the covers up around them better and said, "How about we try to get some sleep now? Tomorrow is going to be a very long day and we will need to get some rest."

Daniel really didn't want to sleep but he nodded his head. He actually did need some time to process all of this. He was Jack's son! And Jack wanted him as a son! He rolled over and snuggled into the covers better all the while smiling. They were going to figure all this out, he just knew it. Jack could do anything and with his team on his side there would be no way he could fail… With that last thought Daniel drifted off to sleep.

Jack heard the slow rhythmic breathing from Daniel and knew he had fallen asleep. All of this was sure causing the boy to need a lot of rest! Jack smiled again. He never thought that this would be the outcome of his day. Daniel was his son. There couldn't be any better news than that. With that thought Jack felt himself drift off to sleep.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

As soon as Sam laid her head on the pillow in the bed of another VIP room she fell asleep. That little catnap she had earlier did nothing to alleviate her exhaustion. She didn't know how long she had been asleep when she heard the quiet singing, "Twinkle twinkle little star. How I wonder what you are…" Sam slowly awoke and found herself staring into the most beautiful brown eyes. Upon realizing Sam was awake the little girl smiled and said, "I have been waiting for you. There is so much more that needs to happen."

Sam's face wrinkled in confusion and she sat up. "What do you mean?"

Grace reached out her little hand to cup Sam's face and said, "It's why I'm here. You have to go back to Vis Urban. If you don't then none of this can happen."

Sam pushed herself more upright. If she thought she was confused before it was nothing compared to what she felt now. "None of what can happen? And what is Vis Urban?" Sam asked.

Grace smiled her most beautiful smile and said, "Us," then her smiled faded, "Oh, I wasn't supposed to say that. This can be so hard, you know?" Her smile came back as she attempted to change the subject, "Vis Urban isn't a what, it's a where. Danny knows where…" With that she paused and looked to the door then back to Sam and hurriedly said, "Don't forget, Mommy, Vis Urban at 10:36 tomorrow."

As she said that there was a knock on the door. Sam swung her head to face the door since the noise had startled her. When she looked back to Grace, the little girl was gone. Sam was left with more questions than answers as she lay back down. 'Vis Urban'… what in the world could that mean? She searched her mind; she had heard that name before. She looked at her watch and dropped her head back down on the pillow and closed her eyes. It was only 0330. She really needed some sleep! This was something that was going to have to be handled in the morning. The knock sounded again. Lost in her thoughts she had forgotten that there was someone at the door. She walked to the door to open it and standing before her was the last person she expected to see but the only one she wanted to talk to…

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Teal'c walked through the doors to the hospital room. The tiny figure on the bed yelled, "Uncle T!"

Teal'c walked closer and they did their own version of a hand shake with a couple of fist bumps. "Hey there Danny, how are you feeling today?" Teal'c asked with a big smile.

Danny pouted and looked over to Jack and said, "I am ready to go home!" He emphasized the *I* in the statement indicating that someone else wasn't quite as ready.

"Well, I brought you something but it's gonna cost ya." Teal'c said as the boy practically bounced on the bed.

"What is it?" The question was spoken as almost one word.

Teal'c handed him over a new drawing pad and colored pencils.

Danny nearly shrieked in joy.

Teal'c shook his head. Most six year olds wouldn't get this excited over a few pieces of paper; but not Danny. "It will cost you a picture for my refrigerator." Teal'c said.

Danny smiled back up at him and said, "You got it!" And promptly began to work on his creation. Teal'c walked over to Jack and quietly asked, "How is he doing?"

Jack was quiet for a minute before answering, "Well, the doctors want to try a new procedure tomorrow called, 'Visitor Turban' or something. I don't know. It's risky but it may be the only way to cure him."

They both looked over to Danny and watched him for a few minutes. Jack turned back to Teal'c and asked, "Hey, would you mind staying here with him for a minute? I need to go and tell Sam about this new procedure, she wasn't here when the doctor told me about it."

Teal'c clapped him on the shoulder and said, "Sure, take your time." And he stood where he was as Jack left the room. Teal'c followed him with his eyes for a moment until he saw a little curly haired girl racing up to him. He smiled as he watched Jack pick the girl up and hoist her on one hip with practiced ease. Then he watched as he kissed a blond woman before he turned attention back to Danny.

Danny was sitting, no longer coloring just watching Teal'c. His eyes were serious as he said, "He's wrong." All playfulness was gone from the boy as he continued, "It's Vis Urban." Then he caught Teal'c's eyes and said, "And this is really important, Teal'c. Tomorrow at 10:36."

Teal'c blinked, not really following where Danny was going with this. When he looked back at Danny, he was busy coloring intently. He walked closer, and asked, "What did you say?"

Danny stopped and proudly held up his picture and said, "See, it's of you and Daddy on a fire truck!" Then he began to color again. Teal'c closed his eyes and listened again to the words he heard from Danny. 'Vis Urban', now where had he heard that before? And 10:36, that was extremely specific. When he reopened his eyes he was sitting in his room back at the SGC, surrounded by candles.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Jack was standing at parade rest viewing the Stargate through the large window. This all felt so familiar, he thought when he heard Daniel's voice behind him say, "Dad…"

He didn't turn around to acknowledge the speaker only saying, "Oh, so it's 'Dad' now, is it?"

Daniel smiled sheepishly and gave a hand motion saying, "Interchangeable…" Then he said, "So, you believe me now?"

Jack smiled and turned around saying, "Yeah, I believe you now. It still doesn't make any sense. I mean come on; the odds against it are astronomical. I bet you could even tell me what the odds are."

Daniel's eyes looked up, thinking and he said, "Actually it is one in…" He paused and looked back at Jack and said, "That was rhetorical, wasn't it?"

Jack gave him a look and said, "Ya think?"

Daniel nodded and said, "Come, walk with me."

Jack stood there for a moment longer and then figured, 'what the hell' and followed Daniel from the room.

They both walked quietly until Daniel said, "Don't worry, you fix it."

Jack looked over at him as they continued to walk the corridor. "You're reading minds now?" Jack asked with a raised eyebrow in a very Teal'c like manner.

Daniel smiled and said "Nope, I'm from the future, see one day you are going to tell me all about what was said during our conversations."

Jack looked over at him and noticed his smile was a little too big. "Doesn't sound very much like me." Jack said.

Daniel's smile faded a little, "No, it doesn't. I was attempting to save my younger self the trouble of trying to get you to talk about it. I really am from the future though. We are here just to make sure everything goes the way it was meant to be."

Jack quickly picked up on the one word Daniel wished he hadn't mentioned. "We?" He asked.

Daniel looked down as he tried to think of something to say to get Jack off this line of thought.

"Yeah, it's really important and time sensitive." Daniel paused, hoping Jack was still tracking with him and not stuck on who else he brought back to the past. Daniel looked Jack in the eye and said "Vis Urban at 10:36. Mini me," he silently chuckled at the name, "Will know what it means."

Jack looked back at him as they both stopped before the VIP room that little Daniel was sleeping in. He needed to process this. Well, he needed to talk with Sam so she could process this.

As he was thinking Daniel engulfed him in a hug and whispered, "Thank you for taking care of me."

Jack hugged him back and said, in the same whisper tone, "Anytime, son. Every time." And they parted.

Jack reached for the door handle as he saw the room growing darker and realized this 'dream' or whatever it was, was about to end. He thought he would throw one last thing to Daniel, "You are a handful though!"

He chuckled to himself thinking Daniel wouldn't have a retort to that. He was wrong.

Daniel laughed and said, "If you think I'm bad, just wait till you meet my sister…"

Jack was almost in the room when Daniel finished his sentence. He whipped his head around to gape at Daniel but the man was already gone. Jack stood there with his mouth hanging open for a moment before turning back to the room. He closed his eyes tight and thought, what did he mean by that? When he opened his eyes he was laying in the bed of the VIP room again with a small Daniel plastered to his side. He laid there for a moment more when he made his decision. He slowly and quietly disentangled himself from Daniel and left the bed. He really needed to talk with someone and he knew just who that someone would be.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

An adult Daniel was walking down the corridor when he spotted a young girl skipping towards him. He reached out his hand to her and asked, "Did you get it done?"

She stopped skipping and gave him a look and said "Of course, who do you think you are dealing with here?"

Daniel chuckled and raised his hands in defeat, "I know, Grace, I know, just making sure."

They walked along, hand in hand for a moment both smiling when Daniel said, "You know, you don't always have to appear as a child, right?"

Grace replied, still skipping, "Yes, but this is fun." And she raised Daniel's hand to do a twirl under it. "You should have more fun!"

Daniel laughed at her antics, "Yeah, well, I've already had my second childhood. You go ahead and enjoy this for both of us."

They continued walking or skipping depending on who you were talking about when Grace asked, "What about Grandpa George?"

Daniel nodded and said, "He is going to take a much lighter touch. He only needs to hear us."

Grace stopped her skipping and bounced on her toes saying, "Can I do it?" Daniel smiled at her childishness and said, "Sure, why not."

The hallway started to fade as they walked but before they completely disappeared, Grace asked, "So, are you going to tell me how you did all this?"

Daniel kept walking and said, "Maybe when we are finished setting everything right." And then they were gone.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

General George Hammond had been having a very long day. Heck, this had been a very long week. He quietly changed for bed. His wife was already asleep, too used to the many nights of him coming home late. As he crawled into bed next to her he thought about the fight for Daniel. He had actually been thinking of retiring before this incident, but now, he needed to stay around to protect that boy. With those thoughts he drifted to sleep.

Two figures appeared in his room, one very tall and one was a child. The child crept closer to the bed where the sleeping General was and said, "Vis Urban at 10:36." The General rolled over and said something incomprehensible. The little girl leaned closer and kissed the General on the cheek and said, "Thanks Grandpa George." And then the two visitors were gone.

General Hammond blinked and looked around the room. He raised his hand to his cheek. What in the world was Vis Urban? He shook his head and laid back down. Yes, retirement was sounding better and better all the time. If they could only fix Daniel this one last time, he knew he would be ready…


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Daniel and Grace watched a sleeping Danny from the shadows. Grace whispered, "How are you going to explain to him what needs to be done?"

Daniel answered, "I haven't quite figured it out yet."

Grace whispered again, "You could just appear as yourself."

Daniel nodded, "Yeah, but Dad might get confused and not listen if he says he was talking to himself."

Grace nodded too and thought for a moment.

Daniel looked at her hopefully, "I was actually thinking about sending you…"

Grace looked up at him quickly, "He doesn't even know who I am."

Daniel held back his chuckle and said, "Not yet. Besides, he's a kid, you're a kid."

He smiled when Grace punched him playfully, "I am not a kid!"

Daniel laughed and said, "Sure could've fooled me."

Grace made a squeak as she tried to tickle Daniel. They both froze as the boy they had been watching rolled over and mumbled, "Jack?" before rolling over and going back to sleep.

All playfulness was gone as Grace looked up at Daniel and stated, "I hate when you do that."

Daniel scrunched his eyes in confusion, "Do what?"

Grace looked back over to Danny and said, "Call Daddy, 'Jack'. It's just… I don't know… rude." And with that she strode over to Danny and covered him better.

Daniel whispered loudly, "Hey, I didn't call him that, he did."

Grace made a humphing sound and said, "You are him."

Daniel tilted his head to the side and said, "It doesn't feel like it. I hated this time in my life. I was so confused… and scared. Really, I just try to block it out."

Grace finished straightening out the covers and said, "Well, I guess that is part of why we are here, to help them figure this out. Don't you remember this at all?"

Daniel shrugged, "I remember Mom, Dad and Teal'c talking about the 'dreams' or visions or whatever they wanted to call them but no, I don't remember mine. I tried to get Dad to tell me what I talked with him about but he wouldn't give me a straight answer."

Grace smiled and said, "Ya think?" And they both laughed.

"Well, I guess I'm lucky Mommy kept the journal. I knew exactly what to say and what to do." Grace smiled smugly.

"You're lucky you found it. She never would have let you read it!" Daniel said as he mussed up her hair.

She bat his hand away as she said, "Hey, cut it out. I know I may look like a kid but both of us know I'm not!"

Daniel nodded his head in understanding, "Now you are getting it. That is the exact way he," and he pointed at Danny, "feels. But remember I know you're a grown up. Everyone around here, well, they're still coming to terms with his… 'downsizing'. Keep that in mind when you talk with him. Talk with him the same way you talk with me now."

Grace reached around and hugged Daniel tightly and said, "That's why you never talked down to me. I always respected you for that." Then she paused and said, "Hey, wait, I never said I would talk with him! I don't know what to say."

Daniel grinned and before he disappeared he said, "Welcome to my world, little sister." And with that he left Grace and Danny alone in the room.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Jack stopped at the door of the VIP room that Sam was in. He raised his hand to knock before turning and taking a few steps away. He really needed her help with this. If anyone could figure this out, Carter could! But what all was he going to tell her? They needed to deal with Daniel and to deal with Daniel they had to figure out this dream. He was sure Carter would understand that he was just 'talking' with an adult Daniel. She did say that she had visions too! With that he turned back around, walked up to the door and knocked. He stood there for several minutes thinking about what he was going to say when he realized no one had answered. He knocked again, beginning to worry that maybe he shouldn't be waking her up like this. All thoughts left his head as the door opened and a sleepy looking Sam answered.

Sam began to smile then her look turned to concern, "Is Daniel ok?"

Jack raised his hand in a placating manor and said, "He's fine, still sleeping."

They stood there for a long moment before Sam asked, "Sir, what are you doing here?" Her mind was bouncing between Jack and the vision she just had of Grace.

Jack looked to her lips then back to her eyes as his hand brushed hers. The contact seemed to break him from his stupor as he stepped back half a step and said, "I was talking with Daniel…"

Sam's brow wrinkled in confusion, "I thought you said he was sleeping?"

Jack paused to understand then said, "Yes, well, not that Daniel. Look we need to talk. Can we go somewhere…?" His mind supplied the 'more private' but that was the last thing he needed. He had to get his head back in the game.

Sam followed his thoughts unknowingly, probably more than she should have but instead of voicing her inner thoughts she said, "Yeah, we probably should go and get Teal'c too."

Jack paused but decided she was right. If they were all having these 'dreams,' then maybe they would be better able to figure them out if they were together. Sam turned to get her shoes and they both left to find Teal'c.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Daniel rolled over in bed and realized that Jack wasn't there. He sat up and began to feel a little scared. He tried to push the thought away; he was a grown man for crying out loud. He looked around the room and almost fell out of bed when he noticed a little girl standing near him.

"Good to see you're awake, Danny." Grace said as she smiled at him.

Daniel scrambled up to turn on the lamp as he was saying, "Who are you, and don't call me Danny!"

He was still breathing heavy as the girl came closer, slowly and sat on the edge of the bed. "I always call you…" Grace began, then she paused and more to herself said, "…doesn't know me yet. Gotta back off, I'm scaring the kid."

Daniel almost shouted at her, "I'm not a kid! Who are you?"

Grace eased back and sat in the chair close to the lamp light and said, "I'm sorry Dann- iel. It's just… I'm just… Ugh, this is so hard! How did you do this each time without a script?"

Daniel was visibly calming down as she spoke. He took a better look at her. She had deep brown eyes and long curly hair. This described… Oh my… could it really be? He blurted out his thoughts, "You're Grace… aren't you?"

Grace looked up at him and blinked owlishly and exclaimed, "Wow, I always knew you were smart but… just wow! How did you figure that out?"

Daniel shrugged, now feeling much calmer. He didn't know how to tell this girl that he felt like he had a connection to her. He decided to go with what caught his eye first, "Sam described you, on the Prometheus and well, you called me Danny. Jack is the only one that gets away with calling me Danny."

It took all Grace's strength not to roll her eyes at his explanation. She knew there was something more to it but since it worked to her advantage, she thought she would let it go.

She let out a sigh of relief. "I thought I was going to have to explain everything just to get you to listen to me." Grace began, "Well, that makes this so much easier!"

Daniel gave her a confused look, "Makes what so much easier?"

Grace only smiled and took his hand. She pulled him up and to the door and upon opening it said, "This." And then she pulled him into what looked like an event horizon of the Stargate instead of the hallway.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

As Jack and Sam rounded a corner they almost ran into Teal'c. "It is good to find the both of you. I have much to discuss." Teal'c informed them.

"Yeah, we were on our way to find you. Why don't we take this to the cafeteria? I don't want to wake up Danny until we have to." Jack said. They nodded and made their way towards the common room.

Teal'c began, "I had the most unusual vision."

Jack smirked and said, "Seems to be a recurring theme."

Sam added, "Me too."

Then the three said, almost in unison, "Vis Urban…"

Sam was the first to question it, "You heard that name too?"

Teal'c confirmed by saying "Yes, and a time, 10:36."

Sam's eyes went wide and Jack was the one to respond, "Yeah, that's what I heard too. But what does it mean?"

"It was you in my dream, O'Neill that told me this would cure him. Although, you also said it would be risky. It was odd, though, it was not you that said, Vis Urban, it was a young DanielJackson that confirmed what the name."

Sam added, "In my dream it was Grace that gave me the name and time. She also said that Danny would know where it was." She began to blush as she remembered what Grace had called her. She wasn't ready to share that that precious little girl had called her 'Mommy'. She thought, maybe, just maybe she had remembered that title the last dream but now she was sure of it.

Jack was already talking, "Daniel said that mini him would know where this visitor place was too. I guess we need to round him up and get his take on all of this…" The trio rose and went to the VIP room that Daniel had been sleeping in.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Daniel and Grace walked out of the Stargate into a forest. "Where are we?" Daniel asked, looking around.

Grace, still holding Daniel's hand pulled him towards some bushes. "Wait, we need to hide and then I can explain things." She told him as she dragged him along.

Once they were in the bushes Daniel turned to her and said, "Well?"

She yanked him down as they heard the chevrons engage on the Stargate and the event horizon open. They watched as they saw Sam and Jack enter through the wormhole and waited. The wormhole flashed and shimmered.

Daniel looked over at Grace with horror but she was quick to allay his fears, "Don't worry, this is the way it is supposed to happen."

Suddenly a six year old Daniel stumbled out, catching himself on his hands and knees. They were too far away to hear the words but you could understand the tone, Jack was not happy.

Daniel and Grace watched as Jack gestured wildly and Grace giggled.

Daniel looked at her with surprise and she said, "Oops, I guess that shouldn't be funny."

Daniel responded with, "Ya think?" And they both began to laugh.

They waited while the group discussed the situation and Grace nudged Daniel and said in sing song, "oooh, I think someone is in troubleeee."

He gently shoved her back and said, "Yeah, but why?"

Grace got serious again and said, "Well, if you tell them you are traveling in time, they will never agree to go. And you HAVE to go Danny; this is the only way to make you big again."

Daniel's eyes went wide and became hopeful, "Really? Can this place really make me a grown up again."

Grace gave a small smile and said, "Yes, but it will take some time. We have to do this right; you need to give them enough information to come here tomorrow morning at 10:36."

Daniel hit his hand to his forehead, "There is no way I am going to get them to go anywhere at a time like that! I'm not even sure I can convince them that *I* should go through the Stargate."

Grace patted his leg and then pointed towards the group and said, "Don't worry. We have already everything in place; you just need to do your part."

Daniel didn't miss the 'we' in that conversation. As he debated on asking that question or the more pressing ones he come out with, "Where are we?"

Grace looked over at him in disbelief, "Vis Urban."

Daniel looked around again and back to Grace and said, "No, this isn't Vis Urban, I have been there and this looks nothing like it!"

He looked around again, wondering what she was trying to pull but she rolled her eyes and said, "Oh sure, Mr. Know It All, and I am sure there is only ONE Vis Urban in ALL of space and time then, huh? You can be so single minded sometimes! This is planet designated PX3-466, also known as Vis Urban." She concluded and waited for him to catch up.

Daniel wasn't ready to give in yet, "No, this isn't PX3-466. When we came here just DAYS ago it was a barren planet!" He wanted to stomp his foot and cross his arms but thankfully he was sitting and unable to give in to such a childish urge.

"Space and time, silly. You weren't here when they were." Grace pointed to a group of hunters that walked up to the Stargate.

Daniel craned his neck around to see where the team was but Grace said, "Their fine, they went that way." And she pointed in the direction the team had headed towards.

As eloquent as ever, Daniel said, "But…" Then he looked around again and mumbled, "Space and time?" Then louder he asked, "We went back in time? How did we get back here?"

Grace giggled at his look and said, "Oh, I forgot, you haven't heard that part yet. When Daniel and I came back…"

Daniel interrupted her asking, "Daniel and you?"

She paused then thought, 'oh well, here goes'. "Ok, here's the deal, you and I had to come back to make sure all of this goes the right way. It already happened so it has to happen again."

She paused and lightly punched him in the shoulder and said, "So I would advise taking notes this time, Mister!"

Daniel rubbed his arm and scrunched his eyes in confusion, "What do you mean I came back? Do you mean now?"

Grace rolled her eyes, "Ugh, I knew you should have done this, oh, not you but big you, older you… whatever! Just listen, you brought me back with you to keep the timeline straight. Without our help nothing would go according to plan. Time travel is so confusing, worse yet when I have to talk about you as two different people! Just follow me here. You are going to bring the team back here and then explain what I am about to tell you. This will get the timeline back on track. You have to be careful with how much you explain before you get here though. You're right; General Hammond will never sanction you going back in time. And we need to hurry, have to get back soon!"

"Great!" Daniel said thinking about just how mad Jack had looked when his other self tumbled out of the gate. "Just what I need to do, get in more trouble with Jack…" He paused again and with a deep sigh asked, "OK, what do we have to do?"

Grace paused and quickly said, "You need to tell them just enough to get through the gate. I don't know what you tell them, since you never told me." she says as she huffs. "Anyway, you have to stall Teal'c before you enter the Stargate. He cannot come through with you. Then, when you get here you need to tell them the rest. You are back in a time when humans were using this planet. You are going to have to wait until their big festival so that you can take a chance and make yourself big again. That won't be for a while."

At the look that Daniel gave her she said, "I know, I'm sorry. This was the only way we could send you back. It had to be this way." She crossed her fingers behind her back hoping *this* Daniel couldn't tell when she was leaving out important information like *her* Daniel could. There were still things she couldn't tell him.

"There is a reason Teal'c couldn't come through. Don't worry, he'll be fine. You all are going to have to act like a family. You will need to call," and she paused before saying the names, "Jack 'Dad' and Sam 'Mom' people need to believe they are your parents." Then she smiled and looked at Daniel and said, "Well, they need to believe both of them are." She giggled at her own inside joke, "Since…" She paused as she almost said 'Dad.' "Since Jack really is your dad."

She shook her head and got serious again, explaining, "They are going to have to get jobs and you are going to have to go school."

Daniel made a face at the thought of going back to school; he hated grade school the first time around. Grace understood the look and put her hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry, you will have Mom and Dad there this time, Danny."

Daniel's look softened before he turned to ask, "When you say 'Mom and Dad' do you mean…"

Grace was quick to change the subject grabbing Daniel's hand and run, dragging him behind saying, "Come on, we have to go. They are going to be there any minute." Daniel planted his feet and refused to move. He closed his eyes and said, "I am not going anywhere until you tell me…" When he opened his eyes he was back in the VIP room tangled in his covers. He fell out of bed when the door opened.

Jack raced across the room to see if he was alright, "Danny, are you ok?" He ran his hands over Daniel's face; Sam was hovering and Teal'c was standing protectively.

Daniel looked around the room for Grace then back to Jack and said, "I'm fine. I was just startled." He continued to look around the room for the little girl but she was gone.

Jack helped him up and upon seeing his searching glances asked, "Have a dream, did ya?"

Daniel stared at him for a moment before answering, "Umm, yeah. I did…"

"Well join the crowd, Dannyboy. Apparently tonight we all had special dreams." Jack said as tussled Daniel's hair.

Daniel pushed Jack's hand away and asked, "Wait, did you see Grace too?"

Sam was startled by this question. So far she had been the only one to see Grace. Sometimes she even worried that the little girl was just a figment of her imagination. She dropped to her knees in front of Daniel and asked, "You saw Grace?"

Daniel looked into her pleading eyes and said, "Yeah, I did." And he gave her a small smile.

The moment broke when Teal'c asked, "What did you dream DanielJackson?"

Soon the three were comparing dreams, each leaving a little portion out. Teal'c was not ready to discuss Danny calling him 'Uncle T' or the Adult DanielJackson referring to Danny as his nephew. Sam never mentioned how Grace called her 'Mommy'. Jack, being Jack didn't explain very much at all; definitely not mentioning Daniel's last words about a 'sister'. Daniel was the one that left out the most. He explained how he had dreamt of Vis Urban when it was used by the Ancients as a place of punishment. How criminals were made into children. He left out the portion on how another turn of the dial would wipe their memories. He didn't think Jack would let him take that chance if he knew the risks.

He also explained how later civilizations of humans tried their turn at turning into children, believing it was like a reward. Finally he told them that Vis Urban was actually PX3-466. Then he told the team, "Grace said we were supposed to see something on the planet. The timing is critical so we can be there for it."

That sentence stopped Jacks thoughts in their tracks, "No way, Daniel, you are not going back to that planet!"

Daniel spun in his seat and glared at Jack and said, "But I have to go! This is the only way to heal me, you heard Teal'c!"

Jack was about to respond when an airman came to the room. He knocked and entered, poking his head through the door saying, "General Hammond would like to meet all of you in the briefing room."

Jack directed the anger he had towards Daniel to the airman, "You mean now? It's like…" and he paused to check his watch and was surprised to find out it was already 0700. Well that changes a few things. Jack looked back up to the airman and said, "Tell him we're on our way." The airman snapped a salute, turned and left the room.

Jack looked around the room at the remaining faces and said, "Well, let's see if we can convince General Hammond to allow us to go back to PX- whatever it was."

Daniel rolled his eyes as he mumbled, "PX3-466. Why do you always get it wrong?"

Sam and Teal'c left the room but before Daniel could exit Jack grabbed his arm, stopping him. "I heard you and I am not putting up with disrespect." He said commandingly.

Daniel stopped and opened his mouth and closed it again. Now was not the time to fight with Jack, he just had to go on this mission and to do that he needed Jack on his side. Daniel sighed and said sincerely, "Sorry."

Jack had been expecting a comeback so the apology threw him for a moment. He stood there for a second and then let go of Daniel's arm and said, "Come on. Don't want to keep the General waiting." And he headed out the door.

Daniel hung his head before joining the team. There was no way Jack was going to let him go through the gate. Even if, by some miracle, he did, then the General would never allow it. He was going to have to think up some way to go without their permission.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Three hours later the group had finished explaining the details of their dreams to the General, well at least the modified versions. General Hammond sat quietly, absorbing all the information. There was a pause that permeated the room.

Daniel finally broke it by saying, "Please, General Hammond. This is so important that," he was going to say that Grace came through time to tell them the messages but at the last minute decided against explaining a time travel motive. "…that we were all given visions."

He wasn't above begging but General Hammond raised his hand to stop him and said, "Not all of us were given visions."

Daniel hung his head, waiting for the 'no' that he expected the General to give. Instead the General said, "I heard a little girl telling me how important Vis Urban at 10:36 was. SG-1 you have a go to PX3-466."

Daniel jumped up and screamed, "YES!" But his smile quickly faded as everyone in the room turned to him with determined expressions.

Before Jack had the chance to object General Hammond spoke, "I'm sorry son; you won't be going on this mission."

Daniel stomped his foot and said, "But…" then suddenly he knew what he had to do.

Jack stood up and said, "Daniel!"

Daniel crossed his arms and said, "Fine!" He turned and walked towards the door saying, "I'm going to see Janet." He continued to walk towards the door.

General Hammond gave the airman a nod with the silent message to follow Daniel to the infirmary.

Daniel pouted as he waited for the elevator. How was he going to do what needed to be done if he had a guard? The elevator came and both of them entered the lift. Daniel just decided he would have to watch for an opportunity to perform his task. He was worried though, he didn't have much time. It was already 1015.

Daniel threw himself in a chair just inside the doorway of the infirmary. Luck was on his side as the airman walked over to a pretty nurse and began to talk with her. He was completely distracted as Daniel rummaged through some items finding what he needed. He placed everything in a large paper bag. He spotted a clean sheet of paper on the counter. He grabbed the pen next to it and scrawled something down, then folded it so it would fit in his pocket. He glanced back at the airman and seeing his attention was still taken, Daniel slipped out so he could wait by the gate room.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

SG-1, minus Daniel waited at the foot of the ramp. Daniel took this chance to run up to Jack and hug onto his leg saying, "I… I don't want you to leave mad at me."

Jack squatted down by Daniel, ignoring the protest of his knees and said, "It's ok, we'll figure this out."

Daniel nodded and said, "I know you will. Here," he shoved the bag to Jack. "Take this with you. Don't open it until you get there. Ok?"

Jack gave him a smile and said, "You've got it kid. Don't worry; you will see us again before you know it." And he stood back up and faced the gate.

Daniel grinned and thought, 'I'll be seeing you before *you* know it' but he kept his mouth shut. This just had to work.

The time had finally come, 1036 and the Stargate sprung into action. Sam climbed the ramp followed by Jack. Teal'c brought up the rear at a slower pace.

Just as Teal'c reached the top of the ramp Daniel shouted, "Teal'c, wait," Daniel ran up next to him. He stopped and took the paper out of his pocket and handed it to the Jaffa. Teal'c raised an eyebrow as he took the letter. "It's important." Daniel said as he gave him his best puppy dog eyes.

Teal'c opened the letter and read the words, "I'm sorry. This is just the way it has to be."

He looked back at Daniel and said, "I do not understand." At that moment the wormhole flashed and shimmered.

Daniel took that opportunity to throw himself through the gate. Teal'c was not fast enough to stop him.

Daniel stumbled through the gate, catching himself with his hands and knees and looked up at a very irate Colonel…


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Daniel stumbled through the gate, catching himself with his hands and knees and looked up at a very irate Colonel. Jack had already dropped the bag he was holding as he all but screamed, "What the hell, Daniel? You said you understood that you had to stay behind! That you were ok with it!"

Daniel wiped his hands on his pants as he stood up. Still looking down he quietly said, "Actually I said that I didn't want you to leave mad at me."

Jack turned from him and then turned back to face him bending down to yell in his face, "Well it's too late for that Dannyboy, because I am BEYOND mad!" He stood back up and gestured toward the gate saying, "Where is Teal'c?" Then he waved his arms around and said, "And where exactly are we?" Jack didn't give time for him to answer; he only waved his arms around while still close to shouting, "This is why I wasn't going to bring you! I have no idea where we are and no idea how you managed to get us here. There was no threat assessment… We have no idea who could be around here…"

Jack would have continued his rant but he heard Daniel saying, "Jack! Someone is coming!"

Jack turned on his heel and saw a group of hunters walking toward the gate. They were pretty far off and still walking so he didn't think that they saw them yet. He squatted down and quickly said, "Come on, let's get outta here." He grabbed Daniel's arm and dragged him off, following Sam into the denser part of the wooded area. Daniel was just barely able to grab the bag he had Jack bring through the gate.

When they were far enough away Jack let go of Daniel's arm and pointed to the ground next to him and said, "Sit!"

Daniel wanted so badly to retort with, 'what am I, a dog?' but Jack was really mad; there was no way he wanted to add to that.

Jack was still standing, covertly, watching the natives dial the Stargate and leave through it. He looked back down at Daniel and said, "Explain!"

Daniel was looking down at the dirt, staring intently. He didn't want to explain, he was already in enough trouble. An explanation wasn't going to help him out at all! He tried to find the words that would make Jack understand. THIS was the only way to fix him and he just HAD to get big again!

Jack stood, watching Daniel stare at the ground as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. His mind whirled with all the possibilities that could have happened. Did they misdial? Did Daniel somehow manage to send them to a different planet? But then why the cryptic timeline? Why wasn't he answering? This wasn't like him to just sit and NOT talk! Finally Jack called out one word which was as much a warning as it was a name, "Daniel!"

That startled him, Daniel looked up at Jack and then at Sam. What was he going to tell them? They may never get back! What had he done? Sam kneeled on the ground in front of him and put a hand on his leg. She asked him, "Why was it so important that we come here? Why is this place so special?"

With no other way to tell them, Daniel thought he should start at the beginning, "It isn't just why this place is important, it's when."

Both Jack and Sam where staring at Daniel with open mouths. The unspoken question of 'what' was on both their minds. Daniel looked at both of them again and then back to the ground. "This is PX3-466, that hasn't changed. What changed is the when. We came back in time…" Daniel began to explain.

Jack interrupted, "We did WHAT? How? When?" He paused in his out loud thinking before he asked, "Why?"

"This is where Grace told me we had to go. She said we needed to go back in time to when humans used this planet. This was the only way I could make myself big again. They have a big festival, like I told you about and they try to see who can be made young again. I can use that machine to make myself an adult."

Jack was about to state that no way was he allowing Daniel to go back into that room. Daniel saw the firm look of 'over my dead body' that Jack got whenever he tried to put himself in harm's way. Jack just had to see that this was essential!

He exclaimed, "Please, Dad. I can't stay like this."

That got Jack. It was the first time little Daniel had called him 'Dad'. For crying out loud, this kid was making him melt by the use of one word and puppy dog eyes! Jack looked over to Sam for support but the tears in her eyes told him that she was putty in the boy's hands too.

Daniel looked over at Sam and saw all the emotion written across her face. He wondered why she looked that way so he went back over what he said and realized he had called Jack 'Dad'. He closed his eyes tightly shut as he realized he hadn't called another man 'Dad' since the death of his parents when he was 8 years old. He felt guilty at how easily it had come out and how right it had felt when he said it. He looked back up at Jack and saw the same conflicting emotions that Sam was wearing cross Jack's features. He didn't know what to say now, so he made light of it saying, "Huh, I think I am going to have to get used to saying that now I guess."

Both Sam and Jack gave Daniel a questioning look.

He realized he hadn't yet explained that part and said, "That is the other part. We are going to have to act like a family while we are here. Grace said it was important that these people believed that I was your son." He blushed as he realized it wasn't going to be just an act with Jack. He still had so much trouble wrapping his mind around that fact. "She said I would have to call you 'Dad'," and then he looked at Sam and said, "And you 'Mom'. She said that everything depended upon these people believing us while we were here. You guys are going to have to get jobs here and I…" He paused. He REALLY did not want to go back to school, especially grade school, but Grace had said it would be fine. "And I am going to have to go to school." With that he made a face.

Jack and Sam just stood and stared at Daniel. Sam was thinking how natural Daniel calling Jack 'Dad' had sounded and how much she couldn't wait for him to start calling her Mom… Wait, what? Since when did she even want to be a mom? She tried to ignore that little voice inside her head that said since they found Cassie orphaned on that planet. She tried to fight the maternal feelings she had had for Daniel since he had been 'downsized'. She looked up and saw the grimace Daniel had on his face when he mentioned going back to school and battled the grin that wanted to appear. Instead she reached her hand up to his face and brushed the hair out of his eyes in a very motherly fashion and said, "Don't worry, this time you have us here. Things won't be like they were when you were a kid."

Daniel met her eyes with a grateful look and said, "Thanks… Mom." Hmmm, that wasn't as hard as he imagined it would be. He never considered Sam a 'mom' before but now… Now it seemed as natural as calling Jack 'Dad'. For the first time since they got to this planet Daniel gave a genuine smile.

Sam returned the smile and felt the tension leave her body. Things were going to be OK. They would figure this out, they always did! She almost nodded with her thoughts until she heard Jack…

"Ok, let's just table the festival talk for now. What about everything else. Where is Teal'c?" Jack had calmed considerably but still had lots of questions.

Daniel ducked his head again. He didn't want to explain anything about the note. He didn't want them to know that he was the reason Teal'c stopped in the first place. He decided to try to be honest, but not completely honest. He was thinking it really wasn't lying… "Teal'c is still on Earth in our time. He didn't make it through before the wormhole shut down."

Jack crossed his arms and asked, "How did you manage to get through the gate?"

Darn! Now what? Daniel decided to try to hedge, "I ran, I knew the event horizon would flash and that was where everyone's attention would be." There, he told the truth, just leaving out the part about him calling Teal'c and giving him the note.

He decided now would be the time to change the subject, "Look," He said as he grabbed the paper bag. "I brought clothes and a few items for us." He began to pull out items of clothes that would make them look more like they fit in here. At the bottom of the bag was a blank journal and some pens. He handed the journal to Sam and said, "This is for you. I thought you could pass the time with this."

Sam smiled as she accepted the gift, "How did you know that I kept a journal?"

He gave her a serious look and said, "I didn't. I just saw it and thought I should bring it for you. Hmmm, weird." He reached back in the bag and pulled out an item, tossing it to Jack.

Jack caught it with ease and smiled as he looped the string around his finger and said, "Yes! A yo-yo!" He began to play with it.

Daniel pulled out some notebooks and said, "These are for me. I need to do some leg work figuring out how to get that machine to make me big without…" He almost blew it. He had yet to mention the fact that the machine could wipe his memories.

Jack stopped playing and looked at him, "Without what?" He asked. Daniel thought fast and answered, "Without my textbooks here to help me out." He breathed a sigh of relief when Jack nodded and began to play with his yo-yo again.

Sam picked up her clothes and went behind some trees for more privacy to change. Jack watched her go and put down the toy to change also. He was thankful that the outfit was pants and a shirt instead of a robe like on Abydos. When he came back out both Daniel and Sam had already changed.

"Ok, now we need a plan…" Daniel said and the trio began to discuss ways to get the villagers to accept them long enough for them to go to the festival.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Teal'c's hand was still outstretched trying to catch Daniel before he entered the wormhole when the Stargate disengaged. General Hammond was on the speaker yelling, "What in tarnation just happened down there?" Then he shouted to the men in the observation room, "Redial that planet!"

Teal'c walked off the platform waiting for the Stargate to re engage. He could hear Walter saying, "Chevron one locked, Chevron two, locked." This continued until he got to the final number, "Chevron 7… won't lock, Sir."

Hammond turned abruptly to Walter and yelled, "What! Try that again!" This continued three more times before the general told Teal'c via the speaker to meet him in his office.

When the two arrived in the general's office he immediately sat behind his desk and motioned for Teal'c to sit in the seat across from him. "What happened down there, Teal'c?" He asked, much calmer this time.

Teal'c said in his customary monotone, "I am unsure what exactly transpired GeneralHammond. Before I was to enter the chapa'ai, DanielJackson called to me and handed me this note." He handed the general the letter.

General Hammond looked the letter over and then looked back up to Teal'c and asked, "Did you have any idea he was going to pull this kind of a stunt?"

Teal'c never wavered, "No, I did not. And I do not believe that O'Neill or MajorCarter had any indication either. DanielJackson believed he needed to go on this mission but O'Neill was not going to let him go. I do not believe he would have sanctioned this behavior from him."

General Hammond sat there for a moment digesting everything that had happened before saying, "I agree with you Teal'c. Until we get this issue resolved I am going to ground all gate travel. I don't want to lose anyone else."

Teal'c wanted to object, his team was lost out there but the general said, "I know, Teal'c, I want them back too. We will get them back. We just need to know what all is going on before we have any heroic measures."

Teal'c gave one nod to show his acceptance of the plan. He didn't like it but he had to agree that they needed more information before they could mount a rescue mission.

General Hammond gave his customary, "Dismissed." And Teal'c rose and quietly left the room.

General Hammond sat thinking about what he was going to do, who he needed to call and everything in between. While his mind raced through the possibilities his eyes landed on a single envelope sitting on the top of his desk. In his haste to discuss the events with Teal'c he hadn't noticed it before. He picked up the envelope and took out the typed letter from inside. He read it once, then again before saying, "What the Sam Hill is going on here…?"


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Jack walked behind Sam and Daniel; his eyes surveying the ground around them. He had no idea how this plan of theirs was going to work. They needed to convince the native people that they were, 'peaceful travelers', that they wanted to attend the 'festival', and that they needed employment and lodgings until that time. Great, just great; and of course Daniel wouldn't be able to be the one to do the talking. I mean, who was going to listen to a six year old? Sure, Sam could have been the one to explain. She was always better with word than Jack was! But no, Daniel told them that this was probably a society that would look towards the head of the family and like it or not, Jack was the 'head' of this 'family'.

The trio walked to the edge of the forest and saw a village. Just as they were about to step into the clearing a man came walking by, he greeted them, "Fair weather, traveler. I am Kylon."

Jack stared at him for a moment before Daniel covertly whispered, "That means hello."

Jack smiled and said, "Uh, yeah, fair weather. I'm Jack this is my…"

Daniel interjected the word "wife" quietly and Jack smiled as he repeated, "Wife, Sam and my son Daniel." The smile didn't drop as he said the word 'son' instead it grew a bit wider. This could be fun; they were out of their own time, who could blame them for trying to fit in by playing 'family'?

The man, Kylon asked, "What brings you to our village…"

Kylon had barely gotten the words out of his mouth when a young boy came running up yelling, "Father, Father, come quick…" The boy was panting as he approached.

Kylon turned to face the boy and said, "Rynok, my son, what is wrong?"

The boy was still out of breath but trying to recover as he said, "It is Mother. Something is wrong. She said to get you. The baby is coming too soon."

Kylon's face became very worried as he asked the boy, "Where is the doctor?"

Rynok answered before he even finished the question, "He has gone to the next village."

Sam stepped forward and said, "Maybe we can help."

Kylon turned to her quickly and gratefully said, "Yes. Perhaps you can. You have given birth to a child; you may be able to help her." And he led them towards the village in a slight run.

Sam had blushed at the given birth comment and looked down to Daniel. He merely gave her a half shoulder shrug before they all took off after Kylon.

When they reached the small house Kylon ushered Sam in and explained that he would get the horse and go to the next village and try to retrieve the doctor. Sam sat crouched down by the woman who was obviously in active labor and spoke calmly with her.

Jack paced outside as Daniel spoke with him, "It's going to be fine Ja-" He looked around quickly to make sure no one else had caught his slip. He was going to have to be more careful with that. Grace had said it was important that these villagers believe that they were a real family. He continued the sentence with, "Dad. She is a doctor you know."

Jack paused and stared at Daniel. The 'Dad' part of the sentence threw him a little but not in a bad way, he rather liked Daniel calling him dad. The part about Sam being a doctor was a surprising reminder. He remembered when Daniel first met Sam. Although she had insisted Jack recognize her rank she introduced herself to Daniel as Dr. Samantha Carter. Jack roughly whispered to Daniel, "Not a medical doctor!"

Daniel shrugged in a very kidlike manner and said, "Yeah, well…"

The sentence was interrupted by the high pitched cry from a newborn. The young boy, Rynok, pushed the door open to their small house allowing everyone to see inside. Sam was wrapping the infant in a blanket and handing her over to her mother. Sam looked back out at her own little family and gave them a warm smile. She looked over at Rynok and said, "Why don't you go show Daniel around and I will take care of your mom for a little while."

Rynok stood there for a moment before doing as he was told. He ran up to Daniel and said, "Come on, I'll show you where we play." The boy was much more relaxed now that his mother seemed fine.

Daniel shot Sam an accusing glare. The last thing he wanted to do was to go and 'play' with a little boy. Jack nudged him and whispered, "Go on and keep him occupied so that Sam can finish up with his mother."

That got through to him. He had forgotten for a moment that there was more to childbirth than the actual holding of the baby. He looked up to Ja- his dad, he corrected himself and nodded and raced off to join Rynok.

Jack went to the door of the the house and asked, "You doing ok in there?"

Sam gave him a warm smile and said, "We are now." And she gazed down at the baby one last time before continuing her work on the mother.

Jack closed the door and pacing again wondering how they were going to get out of this problem this time. Ugh, time, that was really the problem. Why hadn't big Daniel told him about this? Even as he asked himself the question he knew the answer. He never would have let little Danny come and knowing he was going to be able to cross that event horizon he would have moved heaven and earth to protect him. Jack understood how important it was to Daniel that he get big again. Hell, it was important to Jack! But Jack wasn't willing to risk Daniel's life over it. Jack would rather raise Daniel again than lose him completely.

Jack paused his pacing to look over to where Daniel and Rynok were playing. He smiled. As much as Daniel had protested he sure seemed to be enjoying himself running around after the other children. Jack sadly shook his head and again felt remorse for the childhood that Daniel didn't have. He could have changed it all. He paused again. He looked up at Daniel. He made a small vow that he would get Daniel to enjoy this bit of childhood while he could. He already knew that they would fix him, big Daniel had told them as much.

He looked towards the door of the house that Sam was currently working in. He gave another small smile. He was going to make sure all of them enjoyed this time as a family. They were thousands of years before the commitment to regulations that both he and Sam had made, he wasn't going to let that hold them back now. He nodded his head, he wouldn't push but he was no longer pulling back due to his military standards. Daniel deserved a family and he and Sam deserved a chance.

Jack glanced back towards the playing Daniel as he thought about what big Daniel had said to him when they talked about him not calling him dad. He had said he had the same problem with calling Sam something. He huffed a little chuckle. Jack was betting that Daniel had trouble not calling Sam 'Mom' in the future. Jack watched as the little kids played and noticed a little girl in the mix. He suddenly thought about what Daniel had said about a 'sister'. Nah couldn't be. Daniel was just teasing him. Right?

Jack was broken out of his musings when the door to the house opened and revealed Sam. He walked closer to her and she smiled. He reached out and took her hand and they stood looking each other in the eye.

Galloping horses gained their attention and they stopped and watched a very frazzled looking Kylon with another man, probably the doctor, racing towards the small house. Sam stepped back in, Kylon and the other man joined them. Jack watched as Kylon peaked over the small bundle in his wife's arms and he took both his wife and small child into a hug. Sam stood back as the doctor checked over the woman and she explained what she had done. Jack gave her a supportive smile as he ducked back out so he could keep an eye on Daniel who was still playing with the other children.

Moments later Jack was accosted by Kylon as he drew him into a manly hug. Kylon released him and said, "You must stay with us to celebrate the birth of my new daughter!" Kylon clapped him on the arm and then went to gather his own son and Daniel. Jack smiled back at Sam. He was finally feeling like this all might work out. Sure there were details he needed to figure out but so far this trip to the past was working out quite well.

_A/N: Sorry the chapter is so short. This one, for some reason, just didn't want to flow. I am still not pleased with it but hope you can forgive me and see if the next chapter is any better :)_


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Three month had passed since SG-1 had arrived in the past. Things had gone remarkably well. They had been immediately accepted into the community through no small part of Sam helping to deliver the leaders' daughter. When the team met Kylon they had no idea that he was the Chief of this small village. They had thought he was just a man with a wife having a difficult labor and the doctor was out of town. Sam delivered the baby safely while Jack paced outside and Daniel played with Kylon's young son.

Now with the acceptance to the village came a job for Jack in the local mill and Sam became a teacher at the small school. Things were even going well for Daniel, although he still wasn't crazy about school he allowed himself to enjoy the freedom being a child entitled him to. It did take much cajoling from Jack and Sam but Daniel had begun to act more like his physical age and the more he was around the children the more he acted like them. Jack and Sam also became closer. They were acting like a married couple after all. Daniel gave them as much time alone as he could manage; not at all bothered by Mom and Dad holding hands and kissing. Recently they even began to share a bed. Daniel decided it was in his best interest to pretend not to notice a difference in their behavior.

When Daniel wasn't out with his friends from the village he snuck into the temple and studied the walls. He had filled three notebooks up with his decipherings. He was certain he could figure out the correct sequence of movements needed to make him big again. He spent all of his school time going over the notes since he didn't need to relearn reading and math. Sometimes appearing six had its perks.

Jack had been enjoying his time in the past. He was getting to know how his son was as a little boy. He felt secure in the knowledge that not only would they be able to fix Daniel but they would also make it back to their own time. He was trusting that 'dream' or vision or whatever you wanted to call it when the grown up Daniel spoke to him. They would be home and he would deal with the consequences of getting too close to his 2IC then. His eyes shifted down. He didn't regret being with Sam, he regretted that it was going to hurt her when they got back. He shook his head, he should have retired. He sighed; there was no way he was going to do that until Daniel was safe again. Then they would see. Then they would decide what to do.

Sam spent her alone time writing in her journal all about the strange dreams she had had. Almost every dream sequence talked about Grace, the little girl she still hoped one day would call her 'Mommy.' Jack and she had grown close. Much closer than regulations would allow. Actually they had thrown regulations right out the window. Sam got up and ran to her room to throw up again. She placed her hand on her stomach and wondered, not for the first time this week, if her period was actually late or if she had food poisoning.

Daniel came running into the small house yelling, "Mom… Dad… I figured it out! I know how to do it."

Sam finished rinsing out her mouth and came into the room with Daniel, "What did you figure out?"

Daniel began to babble, "I have been working on it for weeks, translating and retranslating. I thought I was on to something only to realize I was wrong but then…" He looked up to realize that Sam was looking out the window not really paying attention to him. "Mom, are you even listening to me?" He asked and waited for her reply.

"Yes, I'm sorry Daniel. I'm listening." She said as she focused her attention back on the small boy in front of her. Her mind thinking about how natural it was to have her son… To have Daniel call her Mom. She smiled as she listened to how Daniel had put together the pieces of the puzzle that he had been studying. She really wasn't paying attention; she really wanted to talk with Jack about… well, about the possible food poisoning. She mentally shook her head. She was sure it wasn't the food that was making her sick. She found it impossible to pay attention to Daniel as she worried what they were going to do.

"Then it just came to me! I know exactly what to do and just in time too! The festival is in two weeks!" Daniel finished up. He was practically radiating happiness and Sam couldn't help but to smile at his enthusiasm. "I can't wait to tell Dad!" Then suddenly he paused. This caught Sam's attention. Any worrying she was doing about herself was sidelined when her boy had a problem.

"What's wrong?" She asked him.

Daniel looked at her with the most serious blue eyes she had ever seen and asked, "Do you think he will let me go in? You'll help me right, Mom? You will convince him that he has to let me do this. Please." And then those serious eyes became mournful puppy eyes that she couldn't resist in the grown Daniel, even more so now in a six year old Danny!

Sam reached up to caress his face and said, "I will do what I can, you know how your dad can be."

With that Daniel's heart sunk. He had never mentioned to Jack how dangerous the festival could be. He didn't explain that with the wrong sequence he could end up younger or it could wipe his memory completely. His only hope would be that Jack didn't hear about it in the village.

Daniel's musings were interrupted by the door opening, "Hey campers. How was your day?" Jack said as he entered.

All of Daniel's fears were pushed aside as he got excited again by his findings. "I figured it out, Dad! I know how to make the machine make me big again!" Daniel proceeded to explain in detail everything he had figured out to Jack. Amazingly Jack actually seemed to be paying attention. Sam began to make dinner for the family and she smiled at the father son interaction she observed. It didn't matter that Jack didn't understand a word that Daniel was explaining, it only mattered that his son was so intent upon explaining it to him.

"So you'll let me try, right Dad? Mom agrees with me." Daniel told him.

"Oh, she does, does she?" Jack said as he looked back up to Sam. Sam gave him an amused smile and he continued, "Why do I get the feeling that there is more to this? Like your little trouble magnet ways are going to come through again?"

Daniel stopped and looked a little guilty before saying, "Nothing's going to happen. Please Daddy."

Jack cracked a grin before saying, "Oh, so now I'm Daddy. We are breaking out the big guns here."

Daniel looked quickly up to Sam for help. He knew he was tipping his father off to the fact that there was danger. He hoped his mom could convince him. His own excitement was overflowing and causing him to talk too much. Sam took the hint and said, "Danny, why don't you go out for a while so that me and your dad can talk?"

Daniel ran up to her and hugged her before whispering, "Thanks, Mom." Then he ran out the door.

Jack and Sam watched him go before Jack stood up and wrapped his arms around Sam. She leaned into his embrace and said, "I know he thinks I am going to talk with you about this, but there is something I need to discuss with you first." She turned around to face him, took his hand and led him to a chair.

"Sam, what's wrong?" Jack asked her with concern.

Sam took a deep breath and said, "I'm late."

Jack only looked at her, not understanding as he asked, "Late for what?" He stared at her and watched her blush as she tried to figure out a way to explain. Her hand went unconsciously over her stomach. He watched her movement before it dawned on him. His jaw dropped for a second then as his eyes went to meet hers he began to smile. "You're pregnant?" He asked without hesitation and he leapt up to hug her.

Sam clung to him as if he was the only thing holding her to the ground and she said, "I think so. I've been having morning sickness." She backed up a little to be able to look at him. All she could see radiating from his eyes was joy but she was not quite there yet. "What are we going to do?" She asked him.

He wanted to say 'have a baby' but he knew what she meant. What were they going to do when they got back? He was her superior officer and this would mean court martial for both of them. He looked at her for a moment before saying, "We'll figure it out, Sam. It's going to work out." And he pulled her back into a hug.

They stayed that way until Daniel came home again. He was confused at their demeanor but afraid to ask about it. He thought that they had been discussing him; he had no idea about a possible baby being thrown into the mix.

Dinner was a quiet affair. Each was lost in their own thoughts. Sam worried endlessly about rules and regulations and how it would affect the people she could now honestly say she loved. How would returning to Earth in their time affect her little family?

Jack worried about the baby, wondered how they would get back and he was also still bothered by the possible journey into the small room that made Daniel a little boy. He knew Daniel was hiding something, he just didn't know what.

Daniel ate quietly, worried that if he said the wrong thing that Jack would forbid him from going into the temple during the festival. He had figured out that there was only one day every five years that allowed the temple to work. The ancients probably had other ways to make the power work but right now they only had the energy from the planet and the sun. If he didn't do this now he wouldn't be able to even try for another five years. He knew he just had to convince Dad to let him try! Daniel surreptitiously looked up to his parents and wondered why they were so quiet. It wasn't like either of them to not talk during dinner. He decided that after dinner he would go to bed early and figure out another way to convince his father to allow him participate in the festival.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

After dinner was finished and the dishes done Daniel made some excuses as to being tired and he turned into bed early. Jack and Sam sat and watched the fire for a bit before turning in themselves. They laid down in the bed they shared and Jack spooned up behind Sam whispering to her, "It's going to be fine." Due to his calm resolve sleep quickly found her.

When she opened her eyes she found herself sitting on the dock outside Jack's cabin. She took in a deep breath of the clean air and thought how peaceful it was to be there. She glanced to her left as she heard a fishing line being cast. She was startled by who she saw, "Daniel," she said to the adult size Daniel sitting next to her.

She watched as he reeled in the line and look over to her and smiled. He finally said, "You're a wonderful mother, you know. I know I don't say it often enough, but thanks, Mom."

She sat dumbfounded for a second just staring at him. He cast the line again before saying, "I never liked fishing before I was made little. I guess after that doing anything with Dad just felt natural." And he began to reel the line back in.

"So, we get back?" Was all Sam could ask him.

He smiled at her and said, "Yep, all four of us." At Sam's wide eyes he chuckled and said, "But Grace doesn't actually make her appearance quite yet."

Sam only repeated the name, "Grace." It wasn't a question.

Daniel's smile never faltered as he said, "I know I shouldn't be telling you this but you don't need to worry. Everything is going to be fine." He put his hand on hers and said, "You just take care of my little sister."

Sam closed her eyes to take in all the information but when she opened them again she was laying down on her bed in the house. She rolled over to face Jack. She brushed the hair away from his closed eyes and kissed him softly. A small smile appeared on her face. She just had a dream that Daniel said they would be fine. She again placed her hand on her stomach as she thought about her little girl. She was going to trust Daniel. Everything was going to be fine.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Jack stood watching the interaction between Daniel and Sam. He knew he shouldn't be standing here, at his cabin. He realized he was actually sleeping somewhere on planet PX3-466. He walked inside the cabin and grabbed a beer from the fridge. No point in worrying about how he got here. He was sure that Daniel would explain it to him.

Jack no sooner thought those words when the door opened to the cabin and in walked an adult Daniel. Jack raised his beer to him and said, "Make yourself at home."

Daniel smiled and said, "I am home."

Jack thought about that for a minute and then nodded before saying, "So… a sister, huh?"

Daniel gave him a big grin, "Yeah." He watched as Jack's grin went to a rueful expression. They both stood in stilted silence.

Jack finally asked, "What happens when we get back?" He had been wondering if he was going to get a chance to speak with Daniel, well, this Daniel from the future again. Now that he had the chance he had to know if he was going to be court marshaled.

Daniel looked at him for a long moment before asking, "What do you want to happen?" Daniel knew what Jack meant, but he had to do this right. He had to be sure.

Jack's reply was instant, "Damn it, Daniel. What is that supposed to mean?" Jack wasn't in the mood for riddles. Next thing you know Daniel would be spouting off about candles and flames and whatever other crap those ancients babbled about. He needed to know what was going to happen.

"What I mean," Daniel started, "is that knowing what you know now, would you do anything any differently." Daniel smiled. He knew he was going to be getting on Jack's nerves, but this had to be done.

Jack just stared for a second before asking, "What, like keeping your little self back at home? You have to know I would do anything to keep you safe." This was exasperating Jack. Daniel seemed insistent on making him guess.

"Well, I appreciate that, Dad. But what I was asking about was Mo- Sam… and Grace." Daniel said.

Jack grinned at Daniel's almost calling Sam 'Mom'. He remembered that Daniel had told him that the names were interchangeable for him and then alluded to them being interchangeable for Sam too. He paused to think that this is where everything became so interchangeable. If they hadn't been playing family then they probably would have never became one. That was something that just wasn't acceptable anymore. He would fight for his family. He paused his thoughts as he considered who this family included. Daniel, Sam and now Grace; the baby Sam was currently carrying. And Grace was the proof of their union while he was still her commanding officer. Jack spoke before he even considered what he was saying but as soon as he spoke the words he knew they were true, "I wouldn't have changed any of this, if that's what you're asking. The only thing I would change is that I am still in the Air Force. If I had retired then we wouldn't be facing court marshal. Without the regulations I would have already married Sam." Jacks paused again astonished he had said so much. Not that it wasn't true; just stunned that he had said it.

Daniel wasn't surprised by the answer at all. Well, maybe a little shocked that Jack had vocalized it all but not surprised by the content. He reached up and patted his Dad on the shoulder and said, "Well, I've already taken care of one part of that. You need to be the one to take care of the rest."

Jack scrunched up his eyes in confusion, "English, Daniel. English. I am not playing some game here; tell me what you are talking about. What did you take care of?"

Daniel took in a deep breath and said, "How would you feel if I told you that you already put in the paperwork to retire?" He held the rest of his breath. He knew the final outcome of this but he had no idea how Jack was going to react to this news.

"What?" Jack asked though his voice was far from calm.

Daniel looked up at him, still holding his breath, "What if you had already put in for retirement?"

Jack was staring at Daniel, then he got up and walked across the room opened the door and walked out of it. Daniel was still sitting when Grace came out from another room. She walked across the room and placed a reassuring arm on Daniel's before saying, "I guess it's my turn?"

Daniel only gave her a half grin. He wasn't sure how Jack would react to the news. Just as he was thinking earlier, he only knew the eventual outcome. Grace was right; he should have been taking notes. Well, not that Jack would have ever told him everything that happened here. He watched as Grace took the same door out that Jack did.

Grace opened the door, stepped out, closed the door behind her and leaned back against it. She could wait until Jack had gotten his thoughts together.

Jack stood on the deck, looking out over the pond. He was thinking about what Daniel had said and the implications of it. If he had already put in for retirement then he wouldn't have to worry about what would happen with Sam. So his real concern was that they would have never let him go through the gate if he had just put in for retirement. He blew out a breath and asked a question to the person that just came out of the door, "How would they have allowed me to go through the gate if I already asked to retire?" He didn't turn around, assuming that it was Daniel that had followed him.

Grace answered, "Grandpa George will handle that part, Daddy."

Jack whipped around, mouth opened to face the little girl whose voice he just heard. She was the last thing he was expecting. He didn't know why he was so shocked. Both Sam and Daniel had seen her before. He closed his mouth and opened it again but said nothing, just stood there with his mouth open.

Grace smiled up to him and said, "You're going to catch flies like that." Then she gave him a little smirk. The look could have come off of Jack's own face. There was no denying the paternity of this child.

"Grace?" Jack asked quietly.

Grace couldn't hold back any longer and raced forward to hug onto Jack like the little girl she was portraying herself to be.

Jack stood staring at the young girl now hugging onto his waist only lifting his head as he heard Daniel join them on the patio. Grace leaned back away from the hug and said, "Don't worry. Everything will be fine."

Jack gave her one last look before looking up to Daniel giving him a warm smile before saying, "This is what I want. Everything that I want. You, your mom and your sister, this family and I don't want the military to take it away from us."

Daniel smiled at the way Jack had explained his family and breathed out a sigh of relief. In his time, they came back from the past and Jack was retired. He never really understood how all that had happened until years later. It was one of the reasons he knew he and Grace had to come back. It was odd to explain but he had already done it, so he had to do it. And that made no sense at all. Time travel was so confusing.

Daniel was shaken from his musings as heard Jack ask, "You submitted the paperwork for me?" It was the only way that this could work. Sam was already pregnant; submitting his paperwork when they got back would mean nothing.

"I placed it on General Hammond's desk myself the morning you three left for the past." Daniel said. Then he further explained, "And don't worry about the timing, General Hammond has taken care of it already."

Jack wanted to ask how, how did he already handle it but it wasn't worth it. He needed to focus on now so he asked, "How much longer?"

Daniel looked at him for a moment before realizing that Jack meant how much longer were they going to be in the past. "One day past the festival. That is the other reason I am here, you need to be back at the gate at 10:36"

Jack stared at him dubiously, "What is up with you and that exact time?" They had to travel here at the same time, why was that important?

Daniel smiled sheepishly and said, "Well, it's a little something I remember from my time being ascended; the way I made this all possible." Daniel paused as he scrunched up his forehead trying to decide how much he was going to explain to Jack, he decided not to explain much at all. "Let's just suffice it to say it is a good time to remember and then I can be sure you are in the right place at the right time."

Jack didn't want to buy this explanation but as soon as he heard Daniel say that it had something to do with his time being ascended he realized he didn't want to know anymore. Well, he didn't want to know much more, "You're not ascended now are you?" he asked with a bit of alarm.

Daniel heard the fear and smiled warmly before saying, "No, not again. Don't worry, Dad. It really does all work out. Just let mini me," he huffed a little chuckle at the name again, "go into the temple. And really, stop giving him a hard time about it," Daniel admonished. "You know he has to go in there, I've already told you everything will be fine. Just trust me."

Jack gave him a sardonic smile and said, "Trust me, huh? Famous last words for a trouble magnet." Jack stared out over the pond again.

Daniel continued as if Jack hadn't interrupted him, "The morning after the festival gate back to Earth at 10:36."

Jack waited for Daniel to finish the sentence but he didn't. Jack turned to ask him more but Daniel was gone, as was Grace. Jack closed his eyes and when he opened them he was laying in bed facing a sleeping Sam back on planet PX3-466. He mentally shook his head; he guessed he would have to trust Daniel again. He closed his eyes wondering why the time was so specific.

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Jack stood, leaning against a tree, watching Daniel play. He wouldn't admit this to anyone but he loved to watch Daniel play. He felt guilty that he had missed out on so much of his son's original childhood. He felt even worse that he was grateful that he had another chance. He knew he shouldn't want this; to want Daniel to stay young and relive his childhood. He shouldn't want it, but a part of him did. Part of him wanted his grown best friend back too though. He thought again about Daniel's pleas to go through the changing process again. In the end it wasn't Jack's choice. It should be Daniel that gets to make that decision. Jack worried that it could make Daniel younger, but even that wasn't holding him back. If he had to care for baby Daniel, then he would do it and be glad to have the chance. No, this needed to be Daniel's choice.

With that thought Jack called Daniel over.

"I gotta go, that's my dad calling." Daniel told his friends as he jogged over to Jack. He smiled to see what, once was his best friend now his dad, wanted from him. Jack had a sense of peace over him that he didn't have before. Daniel was certain it was the relationship with Sam that had caused the change. He had watched both of his parents… he paused at that thought but that is exactly what they were, his parents. He had watched both of his parents grow and change in the few months they had been here. They had truly become a family. He wondered what Grace knew about this time. He thought that she had let it slip that somehow Jack and Sam were her parents. If that were true then she was his sister. That was probably why she wanted them to act as a family. It was so they would eventually be one. Daniel knew that he would always think of Sam as a mom now and Jack really was his dad.

Daniel stopped his musing as he came up to Jack and said, "Hey Dad. What's going on?"

Jack looked down into Daniel's big blue eyes and thought again how he should start this conversation. He put a hand on Daniel's shoulder and said, "Let's go over to the temple. We need to talk."

Daniel's heart sank. Any time a conversation started with 'we need to talk' didn't usually end well for him. He only said, "Ok," and they began the short trek towards the temple. Neither Jack nor Daniel said anything on the trip, each lost in his own thoughts.

Jack was trying to word his question very carefully. He didn't want to push Daniel one way or another. He really wanted him to think about the consequences either decision would lead him.

Daniel was fretting about Jack not letting him participate and wondered if Jack had heard that there was a possibility of Daniel having his memories erased. Daniel was quite certain that Jack wouldn't consider that a risk worth taking.

The pair finally made it to the temple. Jack stood still for a moment taking in the colossal sight. He hadn't seen the building since the first time they were on PX3-466. He gazed at the almost flawless finish of the columns in the front, not bothering to read the writing on it. He watched as Daniel walked into the doorway and wondered if they would have ever figured out that Danny was the baby he had given up so many years ago if he hadn't been downsized. They may have, considering Sam was researching it before the trip to the planet. One thing for sure is they wouldn't have had the chance to play family.

"Dad, are you coming." Daniel called to Jack.

Jack walked slowly up to the doorway. He paused again and said, "You knew, didn't you? You knew that the old temple had more damage than the aerial view showed?"

Daniel blushed and ducked his head before saying, "About that… It, uh… Is that why you brought me here?" Daniel crossed his fingers that he could change the subject.

Jack gave a small smile and said, "No, I was just thinking about that now." He paused again; he wasn't ready to bring it up yet. "So, tell me what you figured out."

Daniel smiled brightly and began to explain, "Well, I have been going over the translations and I think if I…" he continued his explanation into the different symbols and designs on the wall nearest to where the small room was located. Jack wasn't really listening to the intricate patterns the boy was describing. He was still trying to word the next question.

Daniel finished up by saying, "So, if I reverse that step it will make me big again." He prayed that Jack didn't pick up on the possibility that he was mistaken. He didn't use words like maybe or should in his explanation. He knew Jack would pick up on those. He made every effort to sound confident that this would work.

Jack nodded and paused again. This wasn't like him to have such trouble, but this was important. Once the decision was made there would be no turning back. "Danny, are you sure?"

Daniel assumed Jack meant was he sure about the translations, "Yes, Jack," he began falling into a familiar defense of his work. "I have calculated all the risks and this is what will make me big again." There, he told him!

Jack had a million comebacks to that statement, least of which was not questioning the use of his name rather than calling him Dad. But right now he had to make sure that Daniel understood there was another choice. "Daniel, I am sure you know what you are talking about with the translations."

Daniel let out a breath he wasn't aware he had been holding. If that wasn't what Jack was talking about then what was he talking about?

Jack continued, "Are you sure you want to go through with this. Are you sure you want to risk becoming big again."

Daniel opened his mouth to argue of course he was sure but Jack put his hand up to stop him as he said, "Hear me out and just think about this." Jack was calm and collected on the outside as he said, "You have an opportunity here to relive your childhood. You missed out on so much the first time." He waited as Daniel absorbed the information.

This was something Daniel hadn't considered before. He had been working so hard on making himself big again that it didn't occur to him he had the option of remaining a child. At first when this happened he was terrified. His first childhood was so bad, he watched his parents, well at least his adoptive parents, die a horrible death. Then he lived through being abandoned by his grandfather and was shipped around to several foster homes before finally being far enough along in his education to enter college. Lucky for him he was so advanced that he was accepted early.

Daniel took a deep breath and said, "I will think about it, but that is all I can promise." And he would, think about it that is. This time was already better. He had a mom and a dad and he was pretty sure eventually he would have a sister. He smiled at the thought.

Jack nodded his head at Daniel's answer. It was more than he had expected, he fully expected a fight. Jack then said, "There is something else."

Daniel raised his small eyes up to Jack's face trying to understand where Jack was going with this. What else was there? He said he would think about it. Was Jack going to tell him that maybe he couldn't do it?

Jack didn't allow Daniel to ponder too long on what else there was to talk about. He drew in a deep breath and said, "Sam's pregnant."

Daniel stood there slack jawed for a moment. That was NOT what he was expecting. He quickly gathered his senses before reaching out to hug his dad and said, "That is great news!"

Jack smiled but then dropped the grin as he said, "Well, it is great news, but there could be a problem. Big you came to talk with both Sam and I. He reassured your mom that everything was going to be fine. But with me, well, he told me we are going back the morning after the festival."

Daniel was still all smiles. Sam was pregnant and he was sure it was with that spunky little girl he met and they were going home. Not to mention that 'big' him was saying all these things, that meant that it had worked and he got big again. He tried not to think about the fact that they were dealing with time travel and that he could have stayed little and grew up instead.

Jack continued, "When we get back, there could be problems. The whole fraternization rule between Sam and me; well, I just don't know how everything is going to work out. Daniel, well, big Daniel said he submitted my retirement papers already. So when we get back I won't be the leader of SG-1 anymore." He put his hand on Daniel's shoulder and said, "It's going to all work out. I just wanted you to know what was ahead for all of us." Jack tried to sound more secure then he felt. It was his job, after all, to make sure all this worked out. Not only was he the leader on this mission, he was a father and husband. Ok, maybe not really a husband but they had been playing at family for long enough that he considered himself to be.

Daniel stood and listened to Jack, trying to understand what was going on. "So, let me get this straight. Sometime in the past big me submitted your resignation papers," Daniel said as he tried to make sure he understood Jack's concerns. Although the man kept saying everything was fine, Daniel knew him well enough to know that he was worried about the future. At Jack's nod, Daniel kept going, "It was after we left, knowing me, probably the day we left." Daniel was now thinking out loud. "So when we get back you will already be retired?"

Jack told him, "Yes," as he waited for Daniel to rehash everything he had just said. That boy could talk your ear off on a normal day.

"Ok, then if you are retired, there will be no fraternization rules to worry about." Daniel concluded. There was a pause then Daniel said, "So… when are you gonna pop the question?"

Jack wasn't expecting that, all he could do was say, "What?"

Daniel smiled, "You know, marriage." He gave Jack a mischievous grin and said, "You are familiar with the concept, aren't you?"

Jack just stood there slack jawed, for once in his life having no come back at all.

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Jack walked quietly into the house. He saw Sam standing in the kitchen stirring something in a pot with one hand while reading over her journal with the other hand. He stealthily snuck up behind Sam and put his arms around her resting his hands on her belly as he reached down to kiss her on the neck. She startled before quickly turning in his embrace.

Sam looked up into Jack's eyes for a moment then asked, "Did you talk with him?"

Jack sighed, kissed her on the forehead and turned to sit down at the table. "We talked, and he is going to think about it."

Sam nodded as she thought about what Jack had said, "Well, at least he didn't dismiss it outright. I think you are right to leave the choice to him. He has to most to gain or lose. It is his life." And with that she turned back around to the pot she was stirring.

Jack spoke again, "I told him about the baby too."

Sam didn't turn as she asked him, "And… what did he say?"

Jack replied, "He thinks we should get married."

Sam turned to look at Jack but he was no longer sitting at the table. She looked down and saw him on one knee looking back up at her. Tears sprung to her eyes, 'damn pregnancy hormones' she thought as she raised her hand to her mouth to cover her surprise.

Jack continued, "I agreed with him. Even though this is a little out of order… Samantha Carter, I love you and want us to be a family. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

Sam stood shell shocked for a moment. This was so totally out of character for her commanding officer! She wanted this… this family… this life… but could she… should she? She didn't say yes, not yet, instead she said, "But what about…?" She left the words hang there.

Jack smiled as he gave her time to process the information. Hell it had taken him the walk back to the house after his talk with Daniel just to work up the nerve to ask her. When she stuttered out the question he quickly answered, "I told you Big Daniel said he already submitted the paperwork. I am no longer your commanding officer but even if he hadn't, I should have." With that he stood up to look her in the eye. He took her and said, "I should have submitted my paperwork a long time ago. We may not have technically broken any regulations but I have loved you for a long time. This hasn't been fair to either of us. I want this, I want us to be a family. Me, you, Danny," and he put a hand on her little pregnant pooch, "and Grace.

When we get back, will you? Will you marry me?"

The tears that were in her eyes fell onto her cheeks as Jack finished his little impromptu speech. She was nodding her head and answering with her heart before her brain had a chance to sensor it, "Yes, Jack, I would love to marry you." And with that she closed the distance between them, first kissing Jack lightly and snuggling into his arms.

The two were brought out their own little world when they heard, "Eww, seriously guys! Children do NOT want to see their parents making out." Daniel spoke the words harshly but the huge smile on his face gave away his true feelings.

Both Jack and Sam looked at Daniel lovingly but didn't step out of their embrace.

Daniel asked, "Well? I take it you two talked? Did you discuss any… future events?" He had to know if Jack had asked but on the off chance his dad had lost his nerve he didn't want to ruin the mood with the question.

"Yes, Daniel, he asked and I said yes." Sam answered with a huge smile. "When we get back we will have to figure out the finer details but we will be family legally."

Daniel cried out, "YES!" then ran up and hugged onto both of their legs.

After a moment the little family separated and Jack took the moment to look Daniel in the eye and said, "You remember to do your part of our talk. You think about what I said."

Daniel gave him a look but before answering sarcastically he saw the sadness in Jack's eyes. This was truly hard for Jack. He could forbid him from trying but he was giving Daniel the choice. He decided to answer respectfully instead, "Yes sir, I will think about it."

Jack raised his eyebrows at the answer but said nothing, just nodded his head in reply.

Dinner was a quiet affair that evening. Each member was thinking about the festival and the future. Sam was worried about Daniel and about what would happen when they return. Jack was only mildly concerned about returning to Earth, he was much more concerned about Daniel's choice.

Daniel wasn't worried about the future the same way his parents were. He was actually considering the choice that Jack gave him. He had honestly never considered staying a child. He really needed to sleep on it.

After dinner was finished and the dishes done, Daniel headed off to bed to contemplate his decision. Sam and Jack decided to make the most of their alone time and snuggled in front of a fire.

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Daniel woke up with a start and immediately knew he wasn't in the room alone. "Dad?" he quietly called out.

"No…" was the reply as a candle was lit and the face of the voice that had just spoken came into view.

Daniel just stared at the newcomer not knowing what to say. I mean really, talking to yourself is one thing but when you can actually see your grown up self in front of you… well that is a different matter entirely.

The grown Daniel smiled at his young counterpart as he said, "It's ok, Danny. Come for a walk with me."

Daniel stared at him for a moment longer then figured, 'what the heck' and swung his feet off the bed. He was shocked to find that he was already fully dressed, shoes and all. He only paused for a moment at that new information but decided to just go with it. He followed the grown man out of the small house and they walked in silence until the temple came into view. The night was a bit cold but at least well lit by the nearby moon. When Daniel saw the temple he stopped.

The grown Daniel noticed the pause and stopped too. Both were looking towards the temple when young Danny said, "Do I do it? Do I make myself big again?"

The grown man didn't answer just resumed his walk. Young Daniel struggled to catch up and finally caught him when they reached the front of the temple. Young Danny was getting angry at the silence and rounded Daniel and all but yelled, "Well! Do I?"

Grown Daniel smiled again before he said, "I don't remember being this angry when I was young." The amused expression never left his face.

Danny's impatience was growing but he knew that throwing a temper tantrum wasn't going to get him anywhere. He sat down in a huff. Grown Daniel followed suit and the two sat for a moment before Danny had to try again, "Please, I have to know."

Grown Daniel placed a comforting hand on young Danny's shoulder and said, "It doesn't work that way, I'm afraid. You have to decide for yourself. I happen to know that you have already decided. I am just here to tell you that you make the right decision."

Young Danny scrunched his eyes tightly together. What kind of answer was that? Couldn't you even trust yourself to give you the right answer. When he opened his eyes he was sitting on his bed in his room. A quick glance down showed that he was in his pajamas and was shoeless. He laid back down. He knew what he had to do. With a smile on his face he closed his eyes. He already knew he was making the right decision.

TBC


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Daniel woke up early and got himself dressed and ready for the festival. His parents were still asleep so he decided that he would speed things up by getting breakfast ready. He was setting the last of the food on the table when Jack and Sam joined him.

"Wow, someone got up early." Sam said then she turned to Jack and asked, "Is anything special happening today?" The effect was only slightly diminished by the smile on her face.

Jack was able to keep his poker face on when he said, "Uh, not that I know of. Danny, did you have anything you wanted to do?"

Daniel glared at them and sarcastically answered, "Ha ha. Very funny. You know if you two aren't going to be serious about this then I am not going to tell you what I have decided." There! He told them! He had already been up for FOREVER and now they want to play around? Well, if he was being honest, it wasn't them he was upset with. He was worried what they would think about his decision. He needed to have one question answered before he told them, though.

Jack didn't appreciate the comment and said, "If you don't watch it, we won't go to the festival at all." He knew Danny was worried about the day but he wasn't going to allow him to be disrespectful. Sam placed a calming hand on Jack's shoulder before she sat down to the table.

"Looks good Daniel, thank you." She said as she tried to steer the conversation away from the previous one.

Daniel was still blushing from Jack's comment as he sat down at the table and mumbled, "You're welcome."

The three quietly ate breakfast and it took all of Jack's strength not to throttle the kid. He was desperate to know what Daniel had decided but he was trying to play it cool and let Danny decide when to tell them the news. Finally when they had finished Sam started to do the dishes and gave a head nod to Jack indicating he should follow Daniel.

Jack did as he was instructed and followed Daniel outside. Daniel was leaning against a tree lost in thought when Jack walked up to him and asked, "Whatcha thinking?"

Daniel didn't look over at him instead just said, "If… if I decided to stay little… you would… still be my dad right?"

Jack grew concerned with the uncharacteristic stuttering that Daniel was doing and said, "Of course…" He opened his mouth and began to ask what all this was about but Daniel spoke before he had the chance.

"And, if I decide to become big again?" Daniel asked with a small voice.

'Ahh' thought Jack, 'that is where this is coming from.' Jack kneeled down in front of Daniel at eye level and gently took his chin forcing eye contact before he said, "Daniel, I will always be your father. Nothing can change that."

Daniel tried to move but the hand held his head fast. He settled for looking down.

Jack continued, "Daniel look at me." He waited until Daniel had raised his eyes again. "Even before we had proof that you were my son, to me you always were. This just forced me to deal with the feelings that we never talked about." He pulled Daniel into a hug and whispered, "I love you, Danny. No matter what you will always be my son."

Daniel held onto the hug tightly and with a voice that was consistent with his size he asked, "Promise?"

Jack smiled and pulled out of the hug far enough so he could see Daniel's eyes again and said, "Promise. Now come on, tell me. What did you decide?"

Daniel knew he had made the right decision now. "I want to be big again." He said. While being young had its advantages, so did being grown and he had already experienced childhood twice now.

Jack nodded and pushed down the sadness he had for the decision that was made. He said, "Then that is what you will be." He stood up and held a hand out to Daniel. "We need to tell your mom and then get ready for the festival." Daniel took his hand and the two walked towards the house.

One look on Jack's face and she knew the answer. She plastered her brightest smile on, ignoring her own sadness at the loss of her little boy and said, "So… Big again, huh?"

Daniel was relieved that Sam was taking his news so well, "Yep! I will go get my notebooks and then we can go." He looked back up and saw the tears gathering in Sam's eyes and ran forward to give her a hug.

More tears rolled down her cheeks and she again chided herself for the 'damn pregnancy hormones'. She squeezed Daniel tight before she said softly, "It's ok."

Daniel felt the tightening and heard her whisper. He spoke in the same quiet voice, "you'll still be my mom though, right?"

Sam held the hug longer. Who could have predicted that she would ever feel this way about her teammate? She remembered the sibling like feelings she had before Daniel became downsized but she was no longer surprised by the maternal feelings now. She knew in her heart that she would always consider Daniel her son no matter what his age was. She didn't whisper, in a clear voice she said, "Always. I will always be your mom, no matter what." And she knew she would be.

Daniel smiled wide after receiving the answer he had wanted. That was the hardest part of making the decision. He finally had the family he had been looking for. Giving up playtime was one thing, giving up his parents would be completely different. He let go of the hug smiled at Sam before running off to his room to gather his paperwork.

Jack walked over to Sam and drew her into a hug. She sniffled and quietly said to him, "I think I was afraid of the same thing. I was afraid he wouldn't want us as parents if he grew up again."

Jack held her tight. He actually had the same thoughts but he wasn't willing to admit them. Should have known his boy would be worried about that. Daniel had been abandoned too many times to think they would stick around if they didn't 'have' to. He didn't say anything to Sam, he didn't have to. She knew he felt the same way. They would never stop being this boy's parents!

Daniel came running out of the room with his stack of notebooks and a big smile. His grin was contagious and the adults in the room soon joined him. The trio left the house and headed towards the festival. They were ready for whatever it could throw at them. At least they thought they were ready…

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Jack, Sam and Daniel entered the already very crowded temple. Daniel looked around mesmerized. This was just like his vision! The only difference was this time he actually understood the people in the room. Weird.

It didn't take long for the festivities to start. The trio watched the scene repeat over and over again as older men and women took a chance at being young again. Daniel slowly was edging closer to the small room. Jack wondered why they were actually calling it 'taking a chance' when the only outcome was to be younger or for it not to happen at all. Why wouldn't you risk trying it if being younger was what you really wanted to do? Jack was still lost in thought when he heard a gasp throughout the room. Jack's head popped up and followed the gaze in the room and saw that the old woman that went into the small compartment had exited but she wasn't a child. She was still an old woman but now was crying and looked terrified.

Jack saw the man to the left of him shake his head and say, "Alieno panton," and turn away.

Jack grabbed the man's shoulder and turned him around and said, "Alien what?"

The man looked up at him solemnly and said "alieno panton – to forget everything. It is the risk we take to regain our youth."

The man was about to turn around again when Jack yelled, "What? You mean they risk permanent amnesia for this?" The man didn't answer and suddenly Jack had a horrible understanding. Now he knew why Daniel was afraid that Jack wouldn't let him go in. Daniel knew this was a risk and he was well aware that Jack would never let him take that kind of chance. He looked back to where Daniel had been standing but he was gone.

Jack searched the crowd quickly and found Daniel had snuck up to the chamber and was pushing buttons. Jack forced his way through the crowd to get to his son yelling, "No! Daniel don't you dare!" He shoved people harder screaming for them to "Move - get outta my way!"

Before he could get through Daniel had the doorway open again and he stepped through only turning when he heard, "Damn it, Daniel!" and the doorway closed again.

Jack pushed the final distance through the crowd and banged on the door with his fists. The festival behind him faded away and he was left with only his hands beating on stone and words that came from his own lips as he tried to claw the doorway open.

Suddenly the ground beneath him shook and nearly threw him to the floor. He regained his balance as the doorway opened again. Looking back at Jack was a grown up Daniel Jackson, dressed in military fatigues and wearing his glasses. Daniel looked at Jack. There was a long pause before Daniel asked, "Jack?"

Just then a squawk from a radio was heard and Jack looked down and noticed that he was wearing his own military issue clothes. The radio sounded again then the voice that came across was Teal'c's deep baritone stating, "O'Neill, MajorCarter is injured."

Jack wheeled around to view the room he was standing in and saw that it was empty. He spun back to Daniel and realized they were the only two left standing in the dilapidated temple. This was not the room he had been standing in when Daniel entered the doorway. This is what the room looked like the first time. Neither Jack nor Daniel said anything before the radio sounded off again. Teal'c said, "O'Neill, are you there?"

Jack grabbed his own radio and asked, "What happened, T?"

Teal'c's reply was, "That last tremor caused MajorCarter lose her footing. She fell hitting her head on a rock. She is unconscious. I am going to carry her back to the gate."

Jack pressed the radio button and said, "Copy that, Teal'c. We will meet you there, O'Neill out."

Jack looked back at Daniel and felt that he was as confused as ever. It seemed they were back on planet PX3-466 and this time Daniel didn't get downsized. Just thinking these thoughts made him think he was crazy. He thought back to Daniel's first words coming out of the small room and remembered that Daniel had called him Jack, not Dad. He shook his head. Now was not the time to dwell on his own sanity. He fell back on his military training and yelled to Daniel, "Grab your pack, Carter is hurt. We need to get off this rock!" And he turned on his heel and headed back towards the door.

Daniel stood there for a moment longer before following the order just given. He quickly looked around the temple ruins in wonder. What had just happened? The last thing he remembered was entering the sequence to make himself big again and then suddenly he was facing Jack. A Jack that was wearing military BDU's and standing in an empty temple room. Did he imagine all of this? Was there something in that room that caused him to hallucinate? He decided that he was going to hold off telling anyone what he was remembering. He had no desire to end up back in MacKenzie's little white room again!

Daniel forced back his own tears as he picked up his bag and followed after Jack. All he could think was, 'what about the rest?' He had a dad and a mom and a little sister on the way. He shook his head; of course it was a hallucination. How many times did he wish this scenario? Well, maybe not this exact situation but with Jack as his dad, that much was certain! He sighed as he thought about all he just lost. It was just a dream, something in that chamber caused his wildest wish to come true in the most unusual way. He gave a sideways glance at Jack and again pushed back the tears. He was a grown man for crying out loud! There is no way he was going to cry over this. There was also no way he was going to tell anyone about it. Jack gave no indication that he thought Daniel was his son. Nope! No way was Daniel going to start talking crazy.

Sam was sitting on the ground holding her head wondering what the hell was going on. She woke up to Teal'c talking to her asking her if she was ok. She glanced around at the barren planet and back to Teal'c before asking what had happened. He explained that they were returning to the gate when a quake dropped her causing her to hit her head and knocking her out. She and Teal'c were currently waiting for Jack and Daniel to meet them at the gate.

Teal'c saw them first and called out to them causing Sam to look up. Both men were in their usual military garb but the good news was that there were two MEN coming towards them. Apparently whatever happened, it hadn't hurt Daniel this time.

When Jack got close enough he called out, "Carter? You alright?"

And that was when Sam knew that she had imagined the entire thing. There was no way HER Jack would be calling her 'Carter'! She inwardly sighed and pushed down the tears threatening to fall. No little Daniel, no 'marriage' with Jack and no little Grace on the way. She put her head back down as she said, "Fine, Sir. Just a headache." And she started to rise as Teal'c dialed home. She covertly wiped a tear that had escaped before taking a sideways look at her family. She shook her head at the thought and immediately regretted it. Apparently on top of the hallucination she had a concussion to deal with.

The four SG-1 members entered the event horizon and exited onto the platform. General Hammond called over the speaker asking them if everything was ok since they were returning early. Jack's response was uncharacteristically hesitant as he said, "Major seismic activity, Sir, it wasn't safe to stay any longer."

General Hammond replied, "Alright, head to the infirmary. It's late, though, we will debrief tomorrow at 0800."

Jack gave the General a relieved nod and headed to the infirmary with the rest of the team.

Each team member had gone through the usual testing; only Sam was being held overnight to monitor her head injury. Teal'c had already left to perform kel'nor'reem. Daniel left the infirmary saying he had to grab some stuff from his office. That left only Sam and Jack. Sam was lying in the hospital bed; Jack was standing at her side.

"You don't need to stay here, Sir, I'll be fine. Janet just wants to be cautious since I blacked out for a few minutes," Sam said. She wondered why she was babbling now. Nothing had happened! She just imagined a different life. It didn't matter that it felt like months had passed during that time. She just needed to focus and maybe get a little sleep and everything would go back to the way it was.

Jack reached out and took Sam's hand, realizing that it would probably be the last time he could do so. He stroked his thumb across her wrist and tried to deny the feelings he had for her. Why was this so hard now? He had been denying his feelings for his 2IC for years. So what that he had a flash of insight to what his life would be like; to be a husband and father again. He shuddered inwardly, he needed to get outta here and get his head back on straight.

"Ok, Carter," he began as he placed her hand back on the sheets. "Listen to the doc and we will see you tomorrow." He finished lamely. He stood there a bit longer wishing he had something to say, something that was going to make all of this right again. He inwardly sighed, gave Sam a small smile and headed out of the infirmary.

Sam watched Jack as he left her side. What was she expecting? Was he going to suddenly pull her into a hug and remind her that she had promised to marry him? She scrunched her eyes closed as the tears welled up in them. She again reminded herself that nothing had happened. She opened her eyes and looked longingly towards the door but there was no one there. She sighed and closed her eyes allowing the steady beep of the heart monitor to lull her to sleep.

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Daniel wandered around his office aimlessly. He finally settled at looking at an old team picture. This had to have been taken at one of their team get togethers. Daniel could almost smell the barbeque and the summer air as he thought back to the time and place the picture was taken.

He breathed in deeply as he reminded himself that everything he 'remembered' had been a hallucination. Sam hadn't mentioned it and Jack sure wasn't acting like he remembered anything. This was just something that was brought about by insatiable curiosity. He should have never entered that room! He paused for a moment at that thought. "Why didn't Jack say anything about him entering that room when the door reopened?' he asked himself out loud. There was no one there to answer him but himself. Suddenly he remembered that the first thing they both heard after the door opened was Teal'c. Jack had just been preoccupied by the news that Sam had been injured. He cocked his head to the side and joked to himself that it was probably for the best. He would be in enough trouble explaining why he deemed it necessary to leave his pack by the front of the hall; leaving him with no radio. He didn't need to add entering an unstable room during an earthquake. He shook his head, picked up his jacket and headed out to his car. He would deal with this all tomorrow. Nothing special had happened. Everything would go back to being the same. And he was fine with that. Really. He was fine with it all. He forced down the tears and headed up to ground level, hoping to leave the rest of his worries behind him.

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Jack changed back into his civilian clothes and headed to Daniel's office. He was disappointed to find the room dark and no sign of Daniel Jackson. 'Hear that' he told himself, 'Daniel JACKSON, not Daniel O' Neill. There would never be a Daniel O'Neill. There had never been a Daniel O'Neill.' Apparently his wishful thinking combined with the worry about Daniel being stuck in that room had spurred his mind to come up with… whatever that was. Yes. That is all that was, wishful thinking! Nothing had happened. Daniel had already left. He would be lingering around if he had something to ask Jack, right? Right! And Sam hadn't said anything at all. Of course she didn't protest to him rubbing his thumb against her wrist. But that was just due to the concussion. She wasn't thinking about his marriage proposal. She wasn't thinking about it because nothing had happened!

With that last thought he strode to the elevator and headed towards ground level. He would deal with this mess tomorrow. Not that there was anything unusual to deal with. It was a routine mission and nothing was out of the ordinary with the exception of earth quakes. There was no downsizing of a certain archeologist, there was no baby on the way and there was most certainly no marriage plans being made. He forcefully shoved his sadness down and drove home telling himself that if he just got a good night's sleep that everything would look fine in the morning. Really…

TBC


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Jack arrived home and pulled a beer out of the fridge. He opened it and took a long pull from the bottle. He set his jacket down over the chair and walked into the living room. He sat and looked around for the TV remote. Not spotting it he slammed the beer he was holding down onto the coffee table in front of him like it was its fault for the remote not being in sight.

"Damn it!" He exclaimed as he stood up looking around for the missing electronic device. He lifted up a seat cushion and then stuffed it back into its original position. Well, more or less its original position. He lifted the next cushion and did the same. He turned around quickly and kicked the ottoman that was on the floor; when it knocked over it revealed the missing remote. He bent down to pick it up and flopped himself on the couch. He channel surfed quickly through the hundreds of channels and found nothing on. He turned off the TV with more force than necessary and slammed the remote on the table next to his beer. He grabbed the beer and headed back into the kitchen.

Jack opened up the fridge again to see if there was anything edible in there. He pushed around a couple of items but nothing took his interest. He slammed the door closed and took another swig of the beer before he looked down at the bottle in his hand. He placed the beer on to the kitchen counter and proceeded to pace. He thought back to the time when he first saw Daniel in that little room. His heart almost stopped when that door slammed and he couldn't open it again. He shook his head. His mind went through the memory like a reel of film watching as he first saw a 'downsized' Daniel crying.

He watched through his mind's eye the way the boy clung to him during those few hours and he laughed out loud at the temper tantrum the six year old had. The scenes were passing through him so quickly he could barely register the events. He smiled when he learned that Daniel really was his son and he grimaced when he recalled them landing in the past. Finally his mind slowed down to normal speed as he remembered a young Daniel asking Jack if he would always be his dad.

He shook his head ruefully saying out loud, "I promised him that no matter what, he would always be my son!" then he whispered, "promised him." He shook his head as he wondered what he was supposed to do now. How could Daniel possibly see him as a father? Daniel was his best friend and that was all there was to it!

He tossed his half empty bottle of beer into the trash can and walked out of the kitchen. He walked straight to the bathroom, deciding on the way to take a shower. That would help get his mind off of these past events.

The problem was that the shower didn't help. His mind wouldn't wander far from Daniel and Sam. He tried to focus his thoughts on his 2IC. Carter… not Sam… not the woman that said she would marry him. How could he possibly think that any of this was true? Sam didn't love him, how could she? Even his mind shied away from any thoughts of Grace. There was absolutely no way Sam was pregnant. The routine bloodwork would prove all that was a lie.

The time line alone should disprove the rest… but… what if? What if it wasn't a dream? I mean really, he hadn't been sleeping, he was completely conscious. There should have been nothing to cause him to have any kind of dream.

He was getting redressed instead of ready for bed before he even realized what he had been doing. He needed answers and there was only one person he wanted to get them from right now. He slipped on his shoes, grabbed his keys and headed out the door. It didn't matter what time it was. He had been over analyzing all this information for hours now. He needed to know and he needed to know now. With that thought he got in his car and drove into the night.

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Daniel had only one thing on his mind when he arrived home. A good night's sleep. That is all he was thinking about. Ok, maybe not ALL he was thinking about but he was really trying to focus on getting some rest. Obviously that small room had done something to him to cause him to have such vivid memories – uh, hallucinations. Because, really, if Mom and Dad… I mean… Jack and Sam. Yes, they were Jack and Sam! If Jack and Sam had just experienced what he had, they surely would have said SOMETHING, right?

He stripped his clothes and put on an old t-shirt and sweats and laid down in bed. He just needed some sleep. He wasn't crazy. He was just tired. He rolled onto his side thinking, 'obviously something in that room could read minds.' It had taken his most secret of wishes and made them come true. He snorted, it had made them come true in a weird way, but made them come true all the same.

He rolled onto his back as his mind continued to race. How many times had he wished that he had a father? Hell, more to the point, that Jack was his father! I mean come on! What are the odds against that! Not only would he have to have been adopted but he would have to have been in just the right time and just the right place so he could be reunited with his birth father. Seriously, that crap only happens in the movies.

He rolled onto his other side. He wasn't adopted… He didn't miraculously end up working with his birth father… Sam wasn't going to suddenly become his mother figure… He wasn't going to get a little sister…

With that last thought Daniel sat straight up, "Grace…"

He scrunched his eyes and admonished himself again. Lying back down he reminded himself that Grace was the little girl that Sam had told them about. He only saw the little girl from his dream so vividly because Mom… no… Sam had described her so well.

'Nothing happened,' he told himself again. 'I'm not crazy! Nothing happened.' He repeated that mantra until he fell into a fitful sleep.

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Jack stood outside the house in front of the door. He just needed to ask one question. Just one question and then he could be on his way. He raised his hand and rapped on the door before he could change his mind and head back home. It didn't matter if his son – uh, Daniel thought he was crazy, he could just blame it on having dreamt something strange and he couldn't go back to sleep until he had the answer. He knocked again.

He was about to give up when the door opened slowly…

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Daniel was awoken by a harsh knock sounding at his front door. He got up and walked to the peep hole. He stood there for a long moment wondering why his dad… Jack… why Jack was standing outside his house. His mind went immediately back to what he could have said. There is no way he let anything slip! He even called Jack 'Jack' when the door to the room opened. He had known something was wrong immediately as he saw Jack standing there in his BDU's! At the time he had no idea how wrong 'something' had went.

He watched as Jack raised his hand and knocked again. He couldn't postpone any longer and he hesitantly opened the door.

The two men stood looking at each other for what seemed like ages. Daniel finally broke the silence by asking, "Jack, what are you doing here at," He paused to look down at his watch, "Two thirty in the morning?"

Jack heard the question and hesitated. How did he ask this without sounding crazy? He opened his mouth and blurted out, "When is your birthday?" Well, that was that. It was out there now. He had planned to bring it into conversation, not make it the only part of it. He waited, staring into Daniel's eyes for the answer.

Daniel's eyes lit up with hope. Could it have been true? Did Jack know about… everything? Could this question be the way Jack was going to tell him that he was still his dad? Daniel felt sadness creep in. Of course it wasn't true. 'Don't be stupid,' he told himself, 'you already know the odds against such a situation happening are astronomical!' He sighed inwardly dropped his gaze and opened his mouth to tell the same lie that had come out so easily in the past.

Jack watched the light in Daniel's eyes as he processed the question and then watched them shutter as he came to the conclusion. He knew that look. Daniel had decided that it wasn't worth it to answer honestly. Jack didn't think about why he knew that, he just did. Before Daniel could speak, Jack said, "I want the truth." He paused for a moment as Daniel looked back up at him. Jack then said in familiar words, "There will be no consequences."

Daniel's eyes shined with hope again. Those were the same words Jack had used the last time. He squeezed his eyes closed and quickly said, "July 8, 1969."

The next thing Daniel felt was Jack's arms go around him in a big bear hug. Daniel's arms rose to return the gesture as he asked, "Was it true, Dad? Did it really happen?"

Neither man gave notice to the name that was just said but Jack did answer the question, "Well, does your version involve time travel with a mini you?"

Daniel laughed as they began to move apart, "Yeah… yeah it does." He turned towards the door as he realized that they were standing in the doorway. "Come in." He instructed as he moved to close the door.

Jack walked into the room and went and sat down in the living room. Daniel followed at a slower pace. He cautiously sat down next to Jack and asked, "What happened? I mean, the last thing I remember is reentering that room. Then we were back to the day it all happened."

Jack shook his head and said, "I don't think you want to ask me that question. I could have rung your neck going into that room! You knew, didn't you? You knew you could have lost your memories!"

Daniel looked down at the ground as he tried to explain, "I had to…" He looked back up begging Jack to understand. "I had everything I wanted; I just wanted to be ~me~ again." He looked back down to ask the next part, "So what now? What if it was all just a dream? Sure we both remember but…"

Jack reached out to lift Daniel's chin with his hand so they were looking into each other's eyes as he said, "I told you, I was your dad no matter what. If none of that happened or if it isn't true," he didn't explain the 'it' he was talking about. Both of them knew he meant the actual DNA results. "You are my son!"

Daniel saw the truth in Jack's eyes and he nodded his understanding. They both sat there absorbing that information when Daniel finally said, "But how…"

Jack sighed and rubbed his hand over his face before saying, "Maybe your mom… Damn, that's gonna be hard to break!" Jack smiled at how he thought he was going to be able to pretend that nothing had happened when he couldn't even say 'Sam' to Daniel without thinking about her being his mom.

Daniel gave a grin and said, "You think it's hard for you?" They both laughed and then it trailed off. Both of them thinking, what if they were the only ones to remember. Daniel looked up into his dad's eyes and said, "What if she doesn't remember?"

His voice was so small it was reminiscent to the young child he had been. Jack's paternal instincts won out as he said, "Then we remind her." He shook his head trying to find a way to express what he was thinking. None of this was easy for him. He put his hand on Daniel's knee comfortingly and said, "These feelings… They just don't go away."

Daniel smiled up at him, that is what he wanted to hear. He thought he had lost a family again and now he finds out that he didn't lose anything. Well anything except Grace. He couldn't lose her. His eyes had a sad look as he asked Jack, "What about the baby?"

Jack huffed a sigh as he stood to pace a bit. He turned and looked back at Daniel and said, "If no time has passed then there is no baby." He paused as he thought about losing that little girl he had barely even met. He wasn't going to lose her! He turned and started for the door.

Daniel jumped up and said, "Dad, wait! Where are you going?"

Jack turned back to face him and said, "To fix this." He turned back to head towards the door.

Daniel followed him then paused and said, "Give me a minute, I'll go with you."

Jack looked down at his watch and then back at Daniel and said, "Go ahead and get ready. I need to do some things and get ready to go in to the mountain. I will pick you up on the way."

Daniel didn't want to let him go but there was no stopping his dad when he got something in his mind. He ran towards the door and yelled out, "Wait! We need to talk about this… What do I call you?"

Jack smiled, he was pretty partial to being called Dad, but realized that it might be awkward for Daniel at work so instead he said, "Whatever you are comfortable with, Son. It's completely up to you." And he got into his truck and drove away.

Daniel nodded his head. He didn't miss the 'son' comment. He just decided that he would need to wait and see what felt more comfortable at the time.

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Sam slowly woke up and realized immediately that she was still in the infirmary. She drew in a deep breath and turned her head to the right and saw Daniel sitting next to her. She smiled at her son – uh, Daniel and said, "Hey, what are you still doing here? I thought you would have left hours ago."

Daniel smiled back at her but instead of answering her question he said, "You aren't crazy."

Sam moved her head to get a better look at him and scrunched her eyes in confusion. How did he know that she had been thinking that exact thought? Her eyes lit up with hope as she wondered if he remembered. Her left hand that had been lying next to her automatically went to her stomach and the hope within her dimmed. She wasn't pregnant; he couldn't be remembering something that didn't happen. She opened her mouth to say something, what, she didn't know, but something.

Lucky for her Daniel knew just what he was going to say, "Don't worry, Mom, they remember. And my little sister will be here before you know it."

Sam closed her eyes tightly to prevent the tears that were threatening to fall. She took in a deep breath and opened her eyes. Instead of seeing Daniel she saw Janet standing over her. She quickly swept the room with her eyes before looking aback up at Janet, "Where's Daniel?"

"Oh, good, you're awake," Janet said with a smile. "I think both Daniel and the Coronel left hours ago," Janet told her as she checked her vitals.

Sam felt her heart sink, "I thought… I guess I was just dreaming." She closed her eyes again then suddenly opened them. She could still feel her hand covering her belly. She asked Janet softly, "My blood work… Did anything come up… uh, unusual?"

Janet had switched her attention from Sam to the equipment while Sam was talking. She paused, turned back to face her and asked, "No, nothing unusual. Why?"

Sam held her hand to her stomach tightly for a moment before releasing it and saying, "Well, with everything... I just… I was just wondering. I don't know." She struggled to come up with a lie that sounded plausible but was failing miserably. She finally sighed and said, "It must have just been something from the dream." She took another deep breath to calm herself and to give her strength. She looked Janet in the eye as she said, "When I was unconscious, I guess, I had thought… somehow… Oh never mind." She was blushing now and feeling pretty stupid for even bringing it up.

Janet placed a calming hand on her arm and asked, "What is it, Sam?"

Sam closed her eyes. She knew it was crazy but she just had to find out for sure. "I thought I was pregnant; several months pregnant in fact." Sam gave a light laugh at Janet's incredulous look. "I know crazy, right?"

Janet smiled at the last comment, "Well, not crazy. You were knocked unconscious and the mind can supply some far-fetched ideas. But don't worry, your blood work all came back fine." She reached out to double check Sam's chart. "Pregnancy test is negative," Janet explained. That was part of the routine testing for women when they returned from off world. "Besides, you aren't even due for your next birth control shot until next month." Yet another military precaution; she couldn't risk getting pregnant and then going to another planet. Janet gave her another reassuring smile, "So no baby on the way." Janet had turned to replace the chart so she missed the look of sadness that crossed Sam's face.

Sam quickly schooled her features. It had all just been a dream. She closed her eyes again and willed herself not to cry. Nothing had happened, there was nothing that was lost here, she tried to tell herself.

Janet patted her leg, mistaking the closed eyes for a sign of being tired, "I'll let you get some more rest." And she turned to head back to her office.

Neither woman saw the two figures by the door listening to their conversation. As the two newcomers backed out of the doorway and headed down the hall the smaller of the two said, "Are you sure that was enough? She still thinks she dreamed the whole thing."

The taller one said, "Oh, it will be enough. Trust me. She will be working on this in her subconscious as she lays there. She needs to heal a bit. Give her time."

The little one started to skip and asked, "So, are you going to tell me now how we did all this." She paused and then said, "And for that matter, why?"

The man the little girl was speaking to sighed before saying, "I had help..." He took her hand and twirled her around before dropping her hand again. "And as for the why… Well we did this so we could have you." As he said the final word he tapped her nose with his finger.

She smiled and with a look of love and gratitude she reached out and hugged him, "Thank you, Danny. I love you."

The man hugged back tightly and said, "I love you too, Gracie." The pair started to walk through the hallway again as he said, "Besides, you're my favorite little sister."

The little girl giggled. As the two were fading from our world she was saying, "I'm your only little sister." Their laugher echoed the hall as they disappeared completely into thin air.

TBC


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Jack drove home from Daniel's place on autopilot. His mind was too busy on what he had to do. He knew what he wanted; he just had to find a way to make it all possible. He smiled as he thought about what he desired. He wanted a family; his family. He now was certain that it didn't matter what any DNA test said, Daniel was his son in all the ways that mattered. He had always been if Jack was being honest with himself. And this past experience proved that Daniel felt the same way about him. It would just be icing on the cake for it to be proven that Daniel was biologically his son. Jack nodded his head and then thought about the rest of his family.

Sam. Sam was the woman he had loved for a very long time. They had both denied it and then even tried to 'leave it in the room.' But after these last few months, or whatever they were, he knew he couldn't live without her. If she didn't remember the same events that he and Daniel had then he was just going to have to demonstrate it again. He was going to prove his love even if it took the rest of his life. He smiled again as he remembered proposing to her. He remembered her hesitation. He knew that it wasn't because she doubted their love but because of the regulations. Well he was going to fix that. And then they could have their family.

He paused in his thoughts and pressed his lips together in a thin line. He could only pray that it wasn't too late to have the final addition to their family, Grace; that spunky little girl from his dream. Well, if that even was a dream. He shook his head as he took the final turn towards his home. It wasn't too late. He was going to fix this. Daniel had already told him how.

Jack parked the truck and strode into his house. He walked straight to his bedroom and stood in front of his dresser. On the top was an old wooden box. The top had an eagle carved into it. This was something he had had for as long as he remembered. His dad had given it to him when he was a little boy. He had kept his treasures in it. Back then it had been matchbox cars and baseball cards. As he got older it held other things. He opened the box and glanced down at a snapshot of him and Charlie. He pulled the picture out and ran his finger across the little boys' face. He gave a small smile. He looked up for a moment and caught his own reflection in the mirror. It had been a long time since the thought of his deceased son didn't cause pain. Sure, he still missed Charlie, but now he could remember the good times. He nodded his head a bit as he thought that it was Daniel that had gotten him here. It wasn't the recent news of the possibility that Daniel was biologically related. No, it was so much more than that. It had started when he first met a wide eyed geek of an archeologist. It was further cemented when that same young man crossed the galaxy with him. Jack smiled and shook his head ruefully; Daniel had helped him to move on. He had wormed his way under Jack's skin and into his heart.

Jack held the picture higher and looked into Charlie's eyes and said, "You would be so proud of your big brother. I wish you had the chance to meet him." He took in a breath and replaced the picture where he had found it. He leafed through the contents, old letters, foreign coins, and even a broken watch. He paused as he looked at the watch. Why do you even keep a broken watch? He huffed out a small laugh before his fingers found what they had been searching for… the small velvet box that held his mother's engagement ring.

He slowly opened the box, pulled the ring out and held it; examining the ring from different angles. The ring was nothing special, just a small round diamond stone set on top of a white gold band. He remembered when his mother gave it to him. He had been too young or too immature to realize the significance of offering a family heirloom to his proposed bride. He had wanted to give Sarah a ring she would be proud of. He never even considered that she could be proud to wear the ring his father had given his mother. His fingers closed around the ring in a tight fist. His pride had gotten him in plenty of trouble over the years. He carefully placed the ring back into its box, snapping the lid closed. He placed the lid back on the wooden box, sat the box back on the dresser and set the ring in front of it. He grabbed the clothes he needed and headed to the bathroom to shave and get ready. He had a lot left to do…

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General Hammond laid down in his bed and pulled the covers up. It had been a long day. He sighed; maybe it was just that weird dream he had last night that was still bothering him. He rolled over to his side pulling the covers while he thought about that strange dream…

He watched as three members SG-1 coming through the gate with Jack carrying a blond haired little boy. He remembered finding out that little boy was actually Dr. Daniel Jackson and Dr. Mac Kenzie trying to remove him from Jack's care. The next vision was of Sam, Jack and Teal'c heading towards the gate and that little boy stopping Teal'c before the little boy jumped through the gate. He recalled how the wormhole flashed and disengaged and wouldn't reconnect. He met with Teal'c in his office…

All of those visions were so hazy and hard to recall. They lacked detail as dreams often do but the last part of the dream he can see clearly. He remembers picking up a piece of paper and reading Jack's request for retirement.

He rolled on to his back and sighed heavily. He knows what he was feeling in that dream. He knew that once they got this situation handled with Daniel that it would be ok for him to finally retire. Part of him almost wished that Jack was ready to give up the lead of SG-1. If Jack retired then it would solve all of the General's problems. The IOA had been insisting that a civilian lead the SGC and Colonel O'Neill retiring would allow them to use that little loophole of him being a civilian.

He huffed a little laugh at himself as he wondered if that dream was prophetic in any way. Not that something like that could really happen but Dr. Jackson did have a way of finding trouble. He smiled as he curled up on his other side; maybe it was time for him to retire. He would finally be able to spend some time with his granddaughters. He closed his eyes with his last thought being… 'if only…' as he drifted off to sleep listening to the whispering of a little child…

"Everything is going to work out ok, Grandpa George… Daddy will fix everything…"

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Daniel paced in the living room. What were they going to do? He sat down on the couch and remembered the talk he had with his dad. He smiled as he thought about the relationship he now had with what was his best friend. He wondered if the way they worked together would change. He snorted at the thought. Of course it wouldn't. Jack had to be the most overbearing CO in all of history when it came to Daniel! Jack had never treated him as just a coworker. Looking back, Jack had always treated him more like he was a kid. Funny how it never seemed to bother Daniel. When he was growing up in the foster homes he hated being treated like a child. He wondered now why it never bothered him that Jack treated him like he was a little boy. Daniel's smile brightened when he realized it was because Jack didn't just treat him like a kid… Jack treated Daniel like he was Jack's kid. And now to find out that it really could be true.

He stood as he thought about how they would go about finding out if Jack and Daniel shared the same DNA. Could he talk with Sam about it? Would Sam still see him as her son? He pressed his lips together and remembered the conversation they had before the festival. Sam had promised that she would always be his mom 'no matter what.' Could that be the case now? And what if she didn't remember? She never felt like a maternal figure to him before he was 'downsized'. If she didn't remember those last few months… He almost felt like he could cry. If she didn't remember then not only would he lose his mom, he could lose his sister!

That just couldn't happen! He wasn't going to allow it to happen. He hung his head. For the first time since he came back he really wished he had stayed little. Would they still be on the planet if he had made the other choice? Big Daniel had told him it was his choice. Did big Daniel choose to stay little? Is that how they had Grace.

Daniel sat back down on the couch with a thud. He put his head in hands. This was all his fault… He was brought out of his thoughts with the honking of a horn. He grabbed his jacket and headed to the door.

Daniel opened the door to Jack's truck and sat down. He didn't look over to his dad, choosing to stare out the window. The vehicle didn't move. Finally Daniel looked at Jack. Neither said anything. Jack nodded once and put the car into gear. He drove them to a small diner that was on the way to the mountain. Jack got out of the truck and headed into the restaurant without a backward glance. After a few moments Daniel joined him.

Daniel sat at the table across from Jack. When the waitress approached, Jack ordered for himself and Daniel finishing the order by saying "and coffee for both me and my son."

The waitress nodded and left. Daniel was trying, and failing to hide the smile at the last word spoken by Jack. Daniel continued to look down until Jack finally said, "Danny?"

Just the one word, although usually it contained his whole name, this time it seemed more accurate with the nickname. The one word that asked the question of 'what's wrong?' Daniel sighed; he didn't even have words for what was wrong. There were too many things wrong. He looked up at Jack and said, "What about…" he looked down again and tried to strengthen his resolve. He was afraid that Jack would blame him for the loss of yet another child. Did Jack even know that the baby was Grace?

Daniel let out another breath; he took a moment to think about how patient Jack was being before he realized that it was just another stalling technique. He started again, "What about the baby?"

Jack's mind went back to that vision he had of his little girl and he said, "I think everything is going to work out…"

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Sam was tying her shoes as she considered what to do next. Janet had given her the go ahead to leave the infirmary but didn't want her to leave the mountain just yet. She stood up from the chair and walked out the door. She didn't even think about where she was headed until she ended up in her lab. She stopped at the door and glanced around the room. It couldn't have only been yesterday that she had been here last. Her shoulders slumped at the thought that those past few months hadn't happened.

She reached up tentatively and placed a hand on her flat stomach and sighed. She wasn't pregnant. Daniel wasn't her son and Jack didn't propose to marry her. Tears welled up in her eyes but she refused to let them fall. This wasn't the person she was. She didn't dwell on things that might be… Well, ok there was that whole thing with Jack but this was different. Maybe that life she had experienced these past few months didn't really happen but that didn't mean that none of it could.

She nodded to herself and walked over to her desk. She sat silently in front of the darkened computer screen and decided she was going to make some changes in her life. She thought about the dream she had when she followed little Grace to this room. Fine, maybe that dream didn't happen either but… but Grace still could happen! She needed to talk with Jack. Maybe it was time for her to step down from SG-1 and just be a scientist. She wasn't ready to give up the family she had had for those few months.

She hardened her features as she decided that yes, she would talk to Jack and if he agreed then they could try to work out a relationship. Either way she was going off the birth control shot. If that trip had done nothing else it proved to her that she wanted to be a mother. She wasn't getting any younger…

With that last thought she powered up her computer. As she was waiting she heard the door open from behind her. She turned around to face the newcomer.

"Hey M- uh- Sam," Daniel called out to her. He held his breath waiting for her reply. He almost called her MOM! How could he be so careless? Dad was going to talk with her first but he just had to make sure she was ok. He had headed down to the infirmary only to discover that she had left. He immediately headed here.

Sam smiled as she watched Daniel enter the room. She was calling out to him before she even registered what he had said to her, "Dann- iel." Crap! She had to watch that! She never called him Danny before he was turned into a little boy, always calling him Daniel. She quickly turned back to face the computer so he didn't see the emotion she was sure was crossing her face. "What brings you in here?" She asked quickly.

Daniel was glad that Sam had turned back to the computer. He didn't think he could pull off lying to her. Not right now, at least, not while his emotions ran so close to the surface. "Uh, I was just making sure you were ok. You seemed to have hit your head pretty hard yesterday," he said with more confidence then he felt. It was one of the reasons he had come. Another reason was a small, ok a BIG, part of him hoped she remembered the time they spent on the planet as a family. So far she wasn't acting like it though.

Sam moved her mouse around bringing up her email. As she waited for it to load, man these computers are slow, she answered, "Oh, Janet says I'm fine. She wants to keep me close but released me. I figured I had plenty of paperwork to catch up on so I came here." There, that was the truth. Janet said she was fine it was just Sam that emotionally felt spent. She felt the tears welling up in her eyes again. She couldn't believe that she was talking to Daniel like he was just her friend. She wanted to pull him in for a hug and tell him that she was still his mom! She forcefully pushed those thoughts away and willed the tears away. There would be time, later, when she could cry for all that she lost. Now was NOT the time. She missed part of what Daniel had been saying as she was lost in her own thoughts.

"… with the General," Daniel finished.

Great. What had he said? Sam sighed again. She really didn't want to prove that she hadn't been paying attention by asking Daniel to repeat himself but it seemed like she was going to have to. She began to turn to ask that question as her eye caught the title of an email. She froze and all her attention went back to the email box again.

There sitting in her inbox, mixed along with dozens of miscellaneous mail was a letter from a hospital that Jack's son was born in. 'Oh God' she thought, 'this is exactly the way I found out before.' She glanced quickly up to Daniel and stared at him.

Daniel watched as Sam clicked around on her computer, freeze then look up at him. Her gaze was penetrating. He had no idea what he was looking for. He watched her blink and then turn back to the computer.

Sam hit the line that would bring up the email and read to herself what it said:

"Major Carter," The email started out. "We do not ordinarily give out the information on closed adoptions even when the child is an adult. We did, however, review your request and found that this was not a closed adoption but instead the baby boy was released to his maternal uncle, Nicholas Ballard..."

Sam's eyes stopped at the name of the maternal uncle. Holy Hannah! She then scanned the letter for the dates… The same four year difference… Could this all be true? She had tears in her eyes as she looked back at Daniel and asked, "What year were you born?"

Daniel blinked, did she know? More importantly, did she remember? Should he ask or should he answer? He opened his mouth still unsure which was going to come out and was surprised his reply was, "Do you remember?" He should have known his own curiosity would win out but as soon as he said the words he realized she could misinterpret the question as did she remember his birthday so the next word left his mouth uncensored, "Mom…" He shouldn't have done that! Darn it! Dad said he was going to handle it. His eyes found the floor as he berated himself. So lost in his thoughts he didn't hear Sam rise, nearly knocking over the chair.

Sam heard the quiet question of her remembering then the heartbeat of time before the even quieter title was spoken. She nearly tripped herself in her haste to get to her son. She enveloped him in a hug as she said, "I thought I dreamed it… I thought it was just a dream…"

Daniel smiled as he felt her hold him and as she explained herself, and even though she only repeated the same phrase it meant everything to Daniel.

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Jack took the elevator to his office allowing Daniel to head off to the infirmary to check on Sam. He opened the door and walked towards the desk. He ignored all of the paperwork and brought his computer to life as he considered exactly what he was doing.

He worded and reworded the letter in his head. The decision was already made; he just needed it to sound right. His fingers flew over the keys almost of their own accord. This was something he should have done a long time ago. He paused for a moment, maybe he should discuss this with Sam first? He closed his eyes to decide. No. He was going to retire and then see what may come with him and Sam. This is what dream Daniel (or whatever he was) had told him to do. Well, if you read between the lines. That part was something he did need to discuss with Sam.

Jack hit print on the computer. When the document finished printing he put it in an envelope and headed towards the Generals office. It was still early so the room was empty. Jack walked over to the desk and placed the envelope in the center of it. He turned on his heel and walked out of the room. He had more important things to take care of.

Jack paused at the door to Sam's lab to take in the scene before him. Off to the side of the room was Sam hugging onto Daniel as if her life depended upon it. Daniel was hugging back just as tightly. Before he could even say anything Daniel's eyes found him and he gave Jack a watery smile. Sam backed up from the hug minutely and the room was quiet for a moment.

Daniel finally broke the silence as he said, "She remembers…" He didn't explain. He didn't need to. Jack would know what he meant.

Sam wasn't sure she understood. Did this mean that Jack remembered too? Had everything really happened? How, exactly, was she going to ask that question without sounding like a fool?

She didn't need to vocalize her concerns instead everything was answered as she heard Jack say to Daniel, "Why don't you let me and your mom talk for a minute."

If Sam had any more questions they were resolved when Daniel kissed her on the cheek and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. She watched him leave then looked questioningly at Jack before she said, "Was it real?"

Jack took one step forward, then, remembering the cameras stopped and said, "You would be the better one to explain it." He gave her a smile before continuing, "But it appears we all remember the same things. The only problem," he paused as he looked down at her stomach before looking sadly up into her eyes, "is that it also appears that no time has passed here."

She knew what she wanted and her mouth was open with words coming out of it before she checked back in with her brain, "But it still can… It still can happen. I want…" She wasn't used to this stuttering and lack of words to convey how she felt. Usually she gave long and hard thought to everything she did and said before her mouth opened but this time… this time she needed to say it before the rational part of her brain stopped her.

Jack smiled, glanced up at the cameras and walked slowly over to Sam. He pulled a small box out of his pocket and handed it to her.

Sam looked at the velvet box and then back up to him. Could this be what she thought it was? Her hand shook slightly but she wasn't able to make the other hand move to open the box. They had ignored everything for so long… Could this really be what she had been wanting? What about the rules and regulations? Before her rational mind took over Jack began to speak.

"I'm retiring." He began. "I already submitted the paperwork. I want this, us… all of us. I want what we had on that planet." He paused as he looked down trying to figure out what all he wanted to say.

"I think that is what Daniel was really talking about when he came to visit me. He was babbling about specific times for us to get back and he explained how he already submitted my paperwork but I think it was just to help me to get to this point. I would never want to hurt you by subjecting both of us to court-martial. I think he gave us a peak at what life we could have and told me what I needed to hear to do what I have wanted to do.

"You don't have to answer now and we won't do anything until all of the military crap is finalized. I just…" He paused again.

Sam listened to Jack give one of the longest emotional speeches she had ever heard him give. This is what she wanted too! And he was going to retire? But somehow this felt right. Somehow what he was saying about the talk that future Daniel had had with him was the key to all of this. She opened the small box and looked at the beautiful ring inside. She knew that this ring had special meaning to him and one day she would know the whole story. One day, but right now she had something else to do.

Sam looked back up and locked eyes with Jack and said just one word, "Yes!"

TBC


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Three members of SG-1 were at the table describing their latest trip through the gate; unknowingly filling in the finer details of General Hammonds 'strange' dream from the previous night. Teal'c was there with his wordless support and the General sat stoically taking in the tale; that was from their standpoint two different timelines. They left nothing out, even including the parts that made the least sense: the dreams of visitors from the future.

General Hammond told the team of his dreams and of the weird whispers that he heard; listening again in his head how 'Grandpa George' shouldn't worry because 'daddy would fix everything.'

The group decided that they were going to keep this 'dream' version of what happened to themselves. The only one that kept any documentation on it was Sam and even that was only in the form of a diary she planned to rewrite when she had the time. She felt a lost without her little book and wasn't willing to give it up completely.

"And that, General, brings us to the matter I left on your desk," Jack stated, back in his command tone.

The General had been quiet through most of the discussion, only filling them in on his visions towards the end of the discussion. He sat and pondered what all the repercussions would be to approve Jack's letter. Seems fate was on their side yet again. "I never thought I would see the day where you would want to retire again, Jack," the General said with a smile.

Sam didn't have any reaction to the news but both Daniel and Teal'c did. Teal'c's response was to raise an eyebrow, but for him, that was quite the rejoinder. Daniel's head jerked up and he stared wide eyed at Jack.

Jack answered both General Hammond and Daniel as he said, "With everything that has happened I no longer feel comfortable being the team leader. I want to pursue a relationship with the Major and to do that I can no longer be her CO." Jack explanation was an uncharacteristic display of emotions. He felt he owed more to General Hammond, Daniel and Sam then to leave these words unsaid. It cost him a bit to admit so much but as he thought back to the ring he had handed to Sam, his pride had already cost him enough.

Daniel was shocked that Jack had planned to retire. He looked over to Sam and saw that she knew this was coming. A small smile appeared on his face. He knew his parents were getting back together. He paused as he thought about that sentence. He wondered if he would ever NOT consider these two people his parents. A small part of his mind went back to the facts that they still didn't have. Daniel wanted to ask about the DNA testing but didn't feel it was the right time. He was trying to convince himself that it didn't matter. Sam and Jack both remembered and that was all that mattered, right?

Jack glanced over the group as the General paused to think about what was said. His eyes rested on his son seeing the insecurity coming off the boy in waves. He realized that something more needed to be said. They had explained to the group about the email that Sam had found that lead them to compare the DNA of Jack and Daniel in the dream world but with everything that was discussed it was a relatively small matter. Jack had to admit, if only to himself that he wanted to know if Daniel was biologically his. Not that it really mattered to Jack. Not after what they all went through. This past experience forced Jack to admit the paternal feelings he had carried for Daniel since their first trip to Abydos.

"General, if you don't mind, Daniel and I have a small matter to attend to in the infirmary," Jack said with wide eyes, pleading with the General to allow him to leave without making a big fanfare of the request.

Daniel had been staring at the table again as he worried over whether or not to bring up Sam's email again. He shot his eyes up to Jack's face as he finished his question. A small smile appeared on his face as he realized that Jack wanted to know if the DNA testing would say what it had said before. Daniel's face fell as he thought back to the mathematical improbability that he was actually an O'Neill. He couldn't stop wishing that somehow it was true. That he was the baby Jack had given up for adoption. He knew it shouldn't matter, but somehow it still did.

Sam had watched the facial reactions from her son and knew that she needed to intervene, "General, I would like to accompany them, if that is alright." She stood as she waited for a reply and walked over putting a reassuring hand on Daniel's shoulder, giving him a gentle squeeze.

Teal'c, not one to be left to the side added, "As would I, GeneralHammond."

General Hammond watched the interaction from his premier team. He saw that although they had always been close, now they were even closer. He had seen the reactions from Daniel and the actions taken by the rest of the team to support him. He had been a leader for far too long to miss even the small facial expressions. He nodded his consent as he said, "Dismissed." He paused again then looked up at Jack and said, "I would like to meet with you as soon as you are done. There are some matters that we need to discuss."

The customary, "Yes Sir," left his mouth as he turned to walk out the door. He wondered if the General would accept his resignation. He knew that the safety of the Earth itself was on the line. His team was the best. He knew all this but more importantly he knew where his heart was. He knew this was what he needed to do. He could only hope the General would see the wisdom in the request.

The quartet arrived in the infirmary startling Dr. Frazier with their presence. Jack was ready to explain but Sam stepped forward and quietly asked the doctor if they could speak in her office. Janet glanced around at the group, noting their serious faces and acquiesced.

Once the two women were alone Janet asked, "Sam, are you alright? Did something happen?"

Sam tried to hide her smile as she glanced at the closed door. How was she going to explain this? Her smile broadened as she recalled the 'first' time she asked her friend to conduct the test. Those circumstances were completely different. She wondered if she should explain what all had happened but realized the team outside would not want to wait that long. She finally decided to cover as much ground as quickly as she could. "Janet," She began, "I need a favor from you and I swear when all this is over we will get together and I will explain everything."

Janet's eyes narrowed in confusion. What kind of favor was Sam going to ask that would need an explanation for? She looked the Major over to see if there was anything out of place. She was about to ask what the favor was when her eyes caught the glint from Sam's left hand. Her eyes went wide as she realized what had caught her attention. Shooting her stare from the hand to the eyes she asked, "Is that what I think that is?" Janet's eyes went back to the unimaginable object that Sam was currently wearing on her ring finger.

Sam cocked her head for a second before she followed the doctor's eyes back down to her hand. A full smile crossed her features before she realized she was getting WAY off topic here. She made a mental note to take the ring off until Jack retired. She gave a mental sigh at the sound of the name, 'Jack' before she almost physically shook herself.

She didn't lose the smile but reached over to her friend and said, "Yes, this is exactly what you think it is and I swear I will explain everything."

Janet looked back up at Sam's face and although she saw the smile she also noticed the seriousness in her eyes. She had known this team for a long time and considered Sam to be more than a friend, more like she was family. Janet knew that whatever Sam was going to ask her was something that important. She quickly realized that it was also something that would require secrecy. She really only needed to know one thing, "Is this illegal?"

Sam choked on her laugh as she said, "God no… it's just…" She paused as she glanced back at the door as if she could see through it to her family on the other side. "It's just crazy," she finally said and then added, "And no one else can know; SG-1, General Hammond and now you. I need you to run a DNA test to compare Daniel and Jack."

Janet did a double take at the name 'Jack' before her mind fully registered the question. There was a long pause before Janet finally said, "Sam that's not" she didn't get to finish.

Sam interjected, "Not possible, I know. But… I promise to explain everything, just… not right now."

Janet stared into her friend's eyes for a long moment before nodding before sitting down behind her computer pulling up the correct files to begin her comparison.

Standing just beyond the door were the three remaining members of SG-1. Aside from a glance to each other as the two women left their presence they had no idea what to say or do. None of them were used to standing around. Jack wondered to a tray and started to play with the equipment on it. Daniel only rolled his eyes.

Back inside the office, Janet looked up at her friend. She tilted her head in question and then looked back down at the results from the computer. She opened her mouth a couple of times before she looked back up at Sam.

Sam thought she was going to die waiting for the response before Janet finally responded…

The men outside the room glanced up at the door as it opened wide revealing two stoic faces. Jack was the one that broke the silence as he asked, "Well?"

Janet broke into a huge grin as she replied, "Congratulations… It's a boy!"

As the group took in that almost cryptic sentence, Daniel froze. They didn't actually SAY that the test confirmed that the two were father and son. Daniel looked over to Sam and said, "Mo- uh, Sam…" He was going to ask a question but Sam's eyes became very serious and he faltered.

As she stared at Daniel she said, "Oh no, you don't get to call me that. Not here among family." Her stern look gave way to a warm smile and with a sparkle in her eye she said, "Besides, when I marry your dad, it will be legal." She took the remaining steps between the two and drew Daniel in for a hug.

At this last sentence Teal'c raised an eyebrow to Jack, clearly expressing the need for further explanation. Jack patted Teal'c on the arm and said, "I think we need to get all this out in the open." He gave a look at Sam and wordlessly told her to go ahead and explain. "How about we go out and get something to eat. You guys go get started and I will meet up with you after my meeting with the General."

Sam gave him a warm smile and followed Janet back into the office to get her things. The smile never left her face. She was finally getting everything she had wanted and never thought she could have.

Janet surprised herself that she wasn't demanding answers right then and there but knew they needed to go somewhere that would give them the privacy they all needed to get the story out. And what a story this one was going to be! First Sam was asking about a pregnancy, then she was sporting an engagement ring and now they find out that Jack and Daniel are father and son. One thing is for sure, it was never dull with this group.

Teal'c was still standing awkwardly and that was not a normal stance for him as he watched the two women leave. He felt he was still missing part of the story; a part that would explain what MajorCarter was talking about when she didn't want DanielJackson to refer to her as Sam and that she was going to marry DanielJackson's father.

Daniel glanced at Teal'c and then began to walk towards the door to get what he needed to leave for the day. As he passed Jack, Jack reached over and pulled him into a hug. Jack whispered to him, "It never mattered, but I am glad the test results proved you are my son. I only wish I had known when you were a little boy. You never would have…" He couldn't finish.

Daniel understood and appreciated the sentiment. He leaned back so he could look his father in the eye and said, "You have always been there for me, even before we had any hint of this. Besides, you were there when it mattered the most." It was all he had to say on the subject. Sure, it would have been nice to have known Jack when he was a little boy; but to them, they had even experienced that. He patted his father's arm as he walked past him.

Jack would never stop feeling guilty for not being there for his son but he accepted that none of them would be where they were now if he had known about Daniel. That one point in time would have changed everything for all of them. He still could wish for things, though, like Daniel having met Charlie… He mentally shook those thoughts from his head. He looked up at Teal'c and saw the small tell of confusion on his friend's face and said, "Don't worry, they will explain everything. I need to speak with General Hammond and get a few things straightened out before I join you guys though."

Teal'c gave his friend a nod and Jack walked out of the room heading towards the General's office.

The General was seated at his big desk with the door opened when Jack paused at the entryway. The General raised his eyes to Jack's then pointed at the seat in front of the desk. Jack acknowledged the unspoken command by sitting down in the seat that was pointed to.

Both men sat in silence for a moment before the General said, "Is the reason you are retiring really so that you can pursue a relationship with the Major?"

Jack paused, unsure how he should proceed with this question. He opted for the truth, "Yes Sir, that is the reason."

The smile on the General's face wasn't what he was expecting. Neither was the words that came out of General Hammond's mouth next, "That is exactly what I wanted to hear. I have an idea that could solve everything…"

The two spent the next half hour going over the plan for Jack to retire, for the General to retire and the final piece: For Jack to take over command of the SGC. It would be tricky and they would need to call in a few favors, but this would be the only way for loophole of having a civilian run the SGC. It also had the added benefit of Jack being out of the military and free to pursue his relationship with Sam.

By the time Jack entered the small restaurant he had missed the explanation to Janet and Teal'c the new relationship between Sam, Jack and Daniel. Janet seemed to take the whole thing well and as he sat down to join the group he realized that Sam and Janet were mid planning a small wedding. He gave a knowing smile to his son and Teal'c. He knew everything was going to work out. He had it on good authority. He could almost hear the giggling of a small child as he sat back and listened to tentative arrangements for a private ceremony to join him and Sam.

To be concluded…

_**A/N: I wanted to thank all of my faithful readers. I had originally written the epilogue but my muse insisted on this small chapter to fill in a couple more blanks… Great big thank you to each and everyone that has stuck with my lazy muse and BIG HUGS to the last few reviewers without you, I am not sure I would have been able to convince my muse to continue. So special thanks to: bats212, dawnmarie1971, annabell14, Ladyschumi, brndjms, Vanidot, gaben, notwolf, SpriteOfTheLight, wandamarie, Torra Jhed, Harm Marie, Stroma, and Tigyr, those final review mocked me until I finished this chapter. I hope it was worth the wait…**_


	22. The Epilogue

Epilogue

Jack trailed slowly behind a six year old Grace. "What story do you want to hear tonight?" he asked her as he rounded the corner into her room.

The little girl bounced on to her bed and sat with her back against the headboard as she told him, "Tell me again about the day that I was born."

Jack sighed as he glanced at the extensive library adorning the shelves of her room. "Wouldn't you rather hear one of those stories?" he said as he nodded towards the books.

Little Grace shook her head and said, "Nope."

Jack smiled and said, "Alright, how about you get into your jammies and when I come back I will tell you a story."

Grace jumped up and yelled, "Sweet!" and hopped off the bed towards her dresser.

Jack smiled and shook his head at her choice of words. He turned out of the room and shut the door behind him. When the door was closed he leaned against it and shut his eyes. Images from six years ago came slamming to the forefront of his brain.

:\FLASHBACK/:

Jack was pacing in the small airport hangar waiting for his flight back to Colorado. He never should have approved the mission! What the hell had he been thinking? Twenty minutes earlier he had received an urgent phone call from Walter. SG-1 was blocked off from the gate by local population. Apparently this 'routine' mission had gone to hell once Daniel figured out that the people there actually worshiped the Goa'uld. This in of itself wouldn't be such a big problem. They had faced much worse. The problem was that Sam had gone into labor and NEEDED to get back to Earth.

Finally the plane landed and Jack quickly boarded. Now he had three hours to brood. He put his head in his hands and second guessed everything he had done. Sam had been adamant about needing to see the mines containing the new metal that would rival naquadah. Apparently it was as good as the naquadah but as light as aluminum. Or something like that. And the planet was peaceful and welcomed relations with Earth.

Jack had wanted to say no. In fact he did say no but Sam wouldn't have it. Was he keeping her from going because she was pregnant or was he keeping her from going because she was his wife? If it was because of the baby well then she still had six weeks to go so she would be 'fine.' And if it was because of was the fact that she was his wife, well, she told him in no uncertain terms that that could be fixed too! Evidently Sam didn't appreciate it when he got all 'alpha male' trying to 'protect what was his.' Those were her words!

Jack was sure that Janet would have agreed with him but she was off helping Cassie with something or other. Janet had assured him that she would be back in plenty of time to deliver the baby. Dr. Warner smiled and waved and just LET Sam go! He actually gave permission! And now she was stuck on a planet millions of miles away and unable to get back!

He should have felt better that Daniel and Teal'c were with her, but that didn't ease his mind at all. He felt like his entire family was stuck out there; his son, his wife, his unborn daughter and a man that was like a brother to him. For the first time since he retired he really regretted it. He should have gone out there with them! He would have except the President had called an emergency meeting. There was a problem with the NID and Jack didn't want to have any more problems with them.

If only they had been able to put off this expedition for a couple of months. Sam would have already had the baby, the problems with the NID would have been resolved and Janet would be around if needed. That would have made the most sense but there was something about the seasonal patterns on this planet that would prohibit the group from reaching this particular cave. Apparently heavy rains flood the area making the cave inaccessible. That was why the trip was planned for now. In one month the weather would start to turn and they wouldn't get another chance for six or more months. Jack sighed again. They should have waited.

The plane landed and Jack was already on his cell phone to find out any new information. As of that moment there was no news. Jack pressed down harder on the gas pedal forcing the jeep to drive faster. He arrived at the mountain in record time.

The usual stop points to get to the lower levels were absolute torture. Jack didn't talk to anyone, just signed by rote and kept heading towards the elevators. Finally, when his patience was about to wear out he headed out of the elevator and nearly ran into Teal'c.

Teal'c's face showed nothing as he said, "O'Neill. MajorCarterO'Neill is in the infirmary now. DanielJackson is waiting there for you."

Jack could have hugged the Jaffa. Instead he smacked his arm and ran towards the infirmary. As he rounded a corner he spotted Daniel pacing in front of the infirmary doors. He shouted out to him, "Daniel!"

At the sound of his name Daniel spun around to face him and he answered, "Dad! I am so sorry. I didn't know…"

Before he finished Jack had grabbed him into a big bear hug then pulled back to face him, "Are you alright?"

Daniel's heart felt a little lighter at the question. He felt so much guilt dragging Sam to this planet then not being able to get her back to the SGC and the medical attention she so desperately needed. "I'm fine. We weren't hurt. It's just that… That Mom is in labor… and it's too soon. They told me to wait here for you. They are trying to stop it now."

Hearing that his wife and son hadn't been hurt was a huge relief. Now they had to wait to see if the labor could be stopped. He needed to do something but knew he would only be in the way in the infirmary. "What happened?" He asked quickly before his heart won the struggle to tear through the doors and find Sam.

Daniel pulled his dad over towards some chairs and started to explain. "We were at the cave entrance when I spotted some writings." He went on to explain how he followed the new writings to an alternate vein of the cave walls and realized that this could be a planet that still worshipped the Goa'uld.

Jack decided to hold the lecture on leaving the main group to follow the writings. Well, at least for now. That boy was always wandering off! Right now he needed to figure out what all had happened before he explained, AGAIN, that wandering off leads to bad things.

Daniel was still talking as Jack had mused on Daniel's usual exploits and meandering. It seems to sum up the entire tale that the locals figured out that capturing SG-1 would please their 'god' so they came up with the story about the new metal to lure the team out. Once Daniel figure out the possibility he did everything in his power to get Sam back to the gate. The locals figured that something was up and tried to force them to stay. They got their warriors and cut the SG teams from the gate. Sometime during this she went into labor. Daniel radioed back to the SGC at the check in time that they would need Dr. Frasier ASAP.

Daniel paused again and looked at his father with watery eyes as he said, "I am so sorry…"

As much as he wanted to join him in his hysterics, Jack knew his boy needed him. He put his hand on the back of his neck and gently squeezed, "Not your fault, Danny." He felt his own tears welling up but willed them away, "Doc Frasier has them now. They are going to be fine." He wasn't going to allow Daniel to carry this guilt. No, this was his and his alone. He let Sam go on this mission. He knew there were dangers whenever you stepped through the gate. He should have never let her go.

Their foreheads touched as they embraced. A tear ran unchecked off Jack's cheek and onto Daniel's arm. Daniel realized that he needed to be there for his father now more than ever. "It wasn't your fault either. She would have never forgiven you for treating her like she was a china doll. This was supposed to be a safe mission."

One year ago none of them would have even considered this scenario as a possibility. Of course one year ago they hadn't yet stepped out onto planet designated PX3-466. Sure, Jack and Sam were getting closer. He had even shared his most closely held secret; a secret that she couldn't help but look into.

Jack often wondered what would have happened if they never went to that planet. Would they still become the family that they became? In the end, nothing happened on that planet. Well, nothing real. But to Jack, Sam and Daniel it was real. To the three of them they spent months in the past playing family with Danny as a little boy and a baby on the way. It was factual to them but they found out that no time had passed when they were on that planet. Teal'c had no memory of any of the events and General Hammond only had the vaguest recollection of a dream consisting of parts of their 'reality'.

Things happened pretty fast after they realized that the three of them shared the same memories. It is actually funny how everything happened almost the same way in this time as it had before. After reading the email from the hospital, Daniel and Jack had a paternity test done. Thankfully this time the only rush was due to them wanting to know the answers and not a fight for Daniel to stay out of that quack's hands. The DNA test confirmed that Daniel was the baby that Jack had given up so long ago. Not that it would have mattered, the two had already come to the conclusion that family didn't need to have a chromosomal link.

Jack was the one that submitted the paper work for his retirement, not Daniel but the result was still the same: One astonished General Hammond. It didn't take long for the trio to fill the rest of their 'family' in on what had happened to them. They decided to keep that information as need to know from the rest of the military. None of them felt guilty for it either. General Hammond explained to Jack how his retirement would pave the way for General Hammond to retire. The loophole of the IOA wanting a civilian to lead the SGC was filled. Jack was retired for one full week before he took over the role as head of the Stargate Command.

Jack and Sam were married one month after all the paperwork cleared. Sam loved her engagement ring even more knowing that it was the same ring Jack's father gave to Jack's mom. Two months after that there were two pink lines announcing the positive pregnancy test results. The timeline was the same. Three months after arriving in the past Sam had realized she was pregnant. Now three months after arriving back from PX3-466 she was elated by the news of a baby being on the way.

Jack was still kicking himself for letting Sam go. He was sure he wouldn't have let any other woman that pregnant go off world. He wanted to put his fist through the wall. He and Daniel took turns pacing and peeking through the windows to the double doors.

Two hours passed and both men had taken up identical stances. Both were sitting with their heads in their hands waiting and berating themselves when they heard the doors open. Their heads shot up and looked into Janet's face; Janet's smiling face. The baby was small but perfect. They should have known with her parentage that this little one would be a fighter.

No one spoke as Janet led the father and son to the recover ward. Jack was the first to enter and he looked over at Sam. She had a tiny bundle in her arms that she was looking at. When the door opened she smiled up at her husband and son. As both men entered the room she turned the little girl towards them and said, "Look, there are Daddy and Danny."

The smiles were so wide they were almost painful. Jack carefully took the baby out of Sam's arms and cooed at her. Daniel went over and gave Sam a hug saying, "Congratulations, Mom." All the while he was covertly examining her for any more damage that may have been done under his watch.

Sam noticed the scrutiny and said, "Stop it. It wasn't your fault." She looked up at Jack and said, "Or yours. Besides, were both fine."

Any retort the either man was going to give was stopped by the sudden emergence of a huge bouquet of pink balloons. Teal'c handed the bundle to Daniel and peered over the tiny blanket covered form in Jack's arms as he said, "GraceCarterO'Neill, it is good to finally meet you."

Janet stepped in the room and stared at the pink monstrosity of balloons before saying, "Ok, I think we have had enough excitement for now. We need to let our patients get some rest."

Jack gave a look over to the doctor but even he knew when to quit while he was still ahead. He handed the baby to Daniel and gave his wife a hug and kiss.

Daniel murmured to the baby. Teal'c took the moment to acknowledge Sam before heading out the door. Janet cleared her throat in a commanding way. Daniel grinned sheepishly and handed his little sister back to their mom. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and followed Teal'c out of the room.

Janet smiled over at the loving couple and said, "I will give you guys a few minutes but they really do need their rest."

Jack gave her a grateful nod before turning back to his wife and new daughter. His brown eyes full of concern as he asked, "Are you sure you're alright?"

Sam reached up and kissed him, looked back down at their daughter one more time before staring into her husband's eyes as she said, "Never better."

:\END FLASHBACK/:

Sam walked into the room and saw Jack sitting down on the bed next to Grace. "Jack, Daniel is here, he needs to see you."

Jack jumped off the bed with a 'saved by the bell' look on his face. Sam gave him an inquisitive look. Jack kissed Grace on the forehead and said, "Oops, looks like I need to talk with your brother. Mommy will finish the story…" With that Jack breezed past her quickly. Sam watched him walk away then turned back towards her little girl.

"So, what story did you want to hear tonight?" Sam asked as she glanced towards the bookshelves.

Grace gave her best smile and said, "Tell me again about the day I was born, Mommy."

Sam's face froze as she shot a glance back towards the door as if she could pawn the story back on Jack but she could already hear him greeting their son. She blew out a breath and gave a warm smile. She sat down on the bed and put her arm around her daughter's shoulders and said, "It was a beautiful day and Danny and I were out on a mission far away from the hospital…"

Jack all but raced to the living room and gave Daniel a big bear hug. Daniel returned the hug but gave him a questioning look. Jack smiled back sheepishly and said, "You just saved me the 'story about when I was born' with Gracie."

Daniel chuckled and said, "Just wait till you have to tell her about the time when I was downsized."

Jack only smiled, patted Daniel on the shoulder and said, "No, Danny. I have a feeling that one will be your story to tell…"

The End.

_**A/N: Wow, what a ride! This story was only supposed to have about 7ish chapters but apparently my muse had more in mind. Thank you to everyone that has read and big hugs to those of you that have reviewed. This is my first multi chapter story and I have appreciated all of the comments and advice offered along the way.**_

_**To those of you that may be interested, my muse has been whispering a little something about a sequel (or more accurately a prequel)… Hmmm, guess we have to wait and see :) She can be a fickle thing, but I honestly don't want to see the story end :)**_


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